New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie Hosts Event to Increase Support of Biomedical Research to Treat Down Syndrome Cognitive Impairment

CHICAGO, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey Governor First Lady Mary Pat Christie will host a reception and dinner to benefit Research Down Syndrome (RDS) and the rapidly advancing area of Down syndrome cognitive research, on Saturday September 25, 2010, at Drumthwacket, the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey.  Mrs. Christie is the Honorary Chair and Keynote Speaker, with Special Guests and Speakers to also include New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Roger Reeves, Ph.D., Professor at John Hopkins University School of Medicine and member of the RDS Scientific Advisory Board.

The New Jersey First Lady endorses the Research Down Syndrome goal of expanding opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome to live more independent lives. "Today, the occurrence of Down Syndrome remains a critical medical concern, appearing in about 1 in 700 births," said New Jersey's First Lady Mary Pat Christie. "As a parent, we always want the best for our children. Through the vital research being supported by Research Down Syndrome, quality of life improvements for thousands of individuals across the country will be enhanced, helping these individuals to live more independent and fulfilling lives."

The support of RDS by the New Jersey First Lady will greatly enhance RDS' efforts to increase awareness and funding of Down syndrome cognitive research – motivating not only the Down syndrome community, but also the general public to support this research. RDS President, Robert Schoen, Ph.D. notes that, historically, Down syndrome cognitive research has been underfunded.  Dr. Schoen notes that, "By demonstrating private support we can encourage NIH to link more resources to promising outcomes in this area of research."

Down syndrome is the result of an extra copy of the genetic material present on chromosome 21. It is the most frequently occurring chromosomal abnormality, with an incidence of approximately 1 of every 600 - 700 live births. Currently there are an estimated three million persons with Down syndrome worldwide, including approximately 400,000 in the United States. The presence of additional chromosomal material impacts development, manifesting differently in each affected individual.  Commonly present physical characteristics include short stature and a horizontal crease on the palms. A number of medical conditions occur with increased frequency in those with Down syndrome, including congenital heart defects, thyroid disorders and Alzheimer's disease.  All individuals with Down syndrome experience some degree of cognitive impairment, usually in the mild to moderate range. According to Dr. Schoen, "Recent advances in health care and inclusive living have resulted in people with Down syndrome living into their 60's and beyond, underscoring the importance of assisting this population achieve and maintain independent living."

Dr. Schoen explains further that until the past decade, research to understand and treat the cognitive impairments associated with Down syndrome had been largely unexplored. In the last several years, applying modern scientific tools and techniques, researchers have made significant progress toward understanding and treating the cognitive issues associated with Down syndrome, successfully correlating cognitive impairment with specific genes, in specific cells, during specific stages of development.  These studies now provide the promise of biomedical therapies for improving memory, learning and communication in individuals with Down syndrome with the goal of enabling them to lead more independent lives.  RDS prioritizes funding toward programs with a high probability of readily contributing to the development of safe and effective therapies.

This research has achieved significant success in a relatively small amount of time. According to Roger Reeves, Ph.D., in the last few years researchers have identified multiple different neurobiological pathways representing potential targets for the development of drugs to positively impact learning and memory in individuals with Down syndrome. Reeves continues, "We really are pushing this research to the human clinical side rapidly….the implications are huge."

Dr. Reeves also notes that there is broad applicability of Down syndrome research to conditions impacting the general population. "Researchers are finding associations between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease which open promising paths of investigation for treating both Down syndrome and Alzheimer's. And because the Down syndrome population has a much lower incidence of colon and breast cancer, based on the discovery that the extra copy of chromosome 21 protects against these cancers, associated Down syndrome research also offers promising avenues of treatment for these conditions as well."

In addition to Johns Hopkins University, RDS supports cognitive research at other leading research institutions that are studying the basis of the intellectual impairments associated with Down syndrome, including Stanford University; The University of Arizona; University of California, San Diego; and University of Colorado.

About Research Down Syndrome

Research Down Syndrome (RDS) supports Down syndrome cognitive research conducted at leading universities. Recent scientific advances have revolutionized this field of research, providing for the near term development of targeted medical therapies to treat the cognitive challenges associated with Down syndrome. The potential to address the cognitive dysfunction associated with both Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease is tremendous, improving memory, learning and communication, as well as expanding and enhancing life opportunities, for people of all ages with Down syndrome. Research Down Syndrome is a legal corporate entity, and is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization designated by the Internal Revenue Code.  For more information, go to www.researchds.org, or contact RDS:  [email protected] or 877.863.2121.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Robert Schoen, Ph.D.

http://www.profnetconnect.com/robert_schoen_phd

SOURCE Research Down Syndrome