Research Update
Klotho gene and brain aging
The most important risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is aging. Dr. Carmela Abraham’s laboratory investigates genes that are abnormally modified during aging and may contribute to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. One such gene is Klotho, coding for an anti-aging protein that is released from the cells that produce it and circulates as a hormone. Dr. Chen, an Assistant Professor in Dr. Abraham’s laboratory, discovered the enzymes that are responsible for the release of Klotho and other factors that affect this event. Dr. Chen’s work followed the pioneering studies by Dr. Duce, who discovered that Klotho, which acts as an antioxidant, is significantly decreased in the aged brain. These studies have been accepted for publication in major journals, and studies aimed at finding ways to increase Klotho expression are under way.
REVEAL update
Susan Hiraki, genetic counselor and project manager for the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s Disease (REVEAL) Study, presented data from REVEAL at two conferences in October, including the World Psychiatric Genetics Conference in New York City and the National Society of Genetic Counselors Conference in Kansas City. For those individuals seeking APOE genetic susceptibility testing for AD risk, perceived risk of AD was significantly associated with having a stronger family history of AD and with stronger belief in genetics as an AD risk factor. Exploring predictors of risk perception is an important area of study for genetic counseling for AD risk in addition to genetic risk assessment for other common complex diseases.
Strategies to improve memory
Dr. Brandon Ally investigates which facets of memory remain relatively intact in early AD. This information is then used to develop strategies to improve memory in AD patients. Dr. Ally’s recent findings suggest that AD patients can remember pictures at a much higher rate than words. Dr. Ally is currently recruiting for new studies investigating why patients with AD can better remember pictures over words and how verbal memory can be improved by turning words into pictures using techniques, such as mental imagery.
In a special edition of the journal Cortex honoring the 100th anniversary of Alois Alzheimer’s seminal paper on AD, Dr. Budson and colleagues reported the research results of their telephone interviews administered to patients with AD, patients with mild cognitive impairment, and healthy older adults. These interviews were administered in the weeks following the September 11th attacks, again three to four months later, and finally one year later. Findings suggest that the memories of all participants declined from the first to the second interview, and these memories were then relatively stable from the second to the third interviews. Interestingly, these memories became false and distorted 25% of the time for healthy older adults and 47% of the time for patients with AD. Although we may always remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard tragic news, such memories initially decline and many of the remaining memories are false and distorted, particularly among those with memory disorders (see Budson et al., Memory for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks one year later in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, patients with mild cognitive impairment, and healthy older adults. Cortex 2007, 43:875-888).
Dr. Peter Morin's laboratory investigates the role of Wnt signaling factors in AD. Their recent work published in Neurobiology of Disease (2007; 26(1):125-33)identified an association between the Wnt co-receptor, Lrp6, and Vps35, a retromer protein involved in transport of proteins from the endosome to the Golgi apparatus. Both proteins have been implicated in sporadic AD and the laboratory is now focused on determining how APP processing and Wnt signal transduction are associated with the retromer. Dr. Morin and his colleagues are very interested in the broader question of how neurodevelopmental factors, like Wnts, play a role in the aging brain in health and disease.
Dr. Benjamin Wolozin and colleagues recently published data in BMC Medicine showing that simvastatin is associated with a significantly reduced number of cases of dementia. This work also makes the surprising finding that not all statins are equal when it comes to dementia or Parkinson’s disease because simvastatin was the only statin associated with a decrease in this study. Two recent publications in Neurology provide strong confirmation supporting the putative benefit of statins for individuals with AD.
The PAIRS Program Kicks Off Inaugural Year
The Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BU ADC) Education & Information Transfer Core is pleased to announce the launch of the PAIRS Program, an educational initiative for first year Boston University School of Medicine students. The PAIRS Program matches first year medical students with early stage Alzheimer’s disease patients. The student-patient pairs meet monthly to engage in social and cultural activities. “The PAIRS program goals include increasing the medical students’ knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and the support-related issues that patients face while improving students’ communication skills with aging adults with cognitive impairment,” said Dr. Angela Jefferson, PAIRS Program Director and Education & Information Transfer Core Co-Director. “This educational initiative is an excellent way for medical students to learn first hand about Alzheimer’s disease and how it impacts patients and their caregivers, and we hope to provide a formative experience to both our patients and our medical student participants.” The PAIRS program is being funded, in part, by an educational grant from the Kenneth B. Schwartz Center and replicates an existing medical student program at the Northwestern University Alzheimer’s Disease Center. For more information about the PAIRS Program, contact Erin Whalen at 617-414-1078 or ewhalen@bu.edu.
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