On this Alzheimer’s Talks we heard from Dr. Lawrence Friedhoff from Axovant Sciences about the new MINDSET trial, a Phase III clinical trial to determine if a new drug in combination with donepezil (commonly known as Aricept) will help with cognition and ability to perform daily living tasks in those with Alzheimer’s disease. 

During UsAgainstAlzheimer's January Alzheimer’s Talks, we were joined by Dan Gasby – the partner in marriage and business with B. Smith, the incredible woman who broke down barriers as a restaurant owner and model and is now facing the challenge of her life: Alzheimer’s disease. The two are doing all they can to make a difference in the fight for a cure. Dan and B. just published a heartfelt book, Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer’s, and they are sharing their story to let people know that if B. Smith could get Alzheimer’s, it can happen to anyone

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Stem cells, cells that have the ability to develop into different cell types, hold great promise for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Larry Goldstein – Distinguished Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at University of California, San Diego; Director of the UC San Diego Stem Cell Program; Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center; and Scientific Director of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine – joined us for November’s Alzheimer’s Talks. He described some of the groundbreaking research being done and offered a glimpse of potential future therapies and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease using stem cell technology.

There is a strong connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, and understanding this connection has the potential to lead to major advances in preventing or treating Alzheimer’s – both for individuals with Down syndrome and for the population as a whole. Dr. Michael Harpold, Chief Scientific Officer of the LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation, joined us for this month’s Alzheimer’s Talks call to discuss why individuals with Down syndrome experience Alzheimer’s disease earlier and at a much higher incidence and to talk about the latest research advances, including a groundbreaking new clinical trial and how this work can hopefully help find a treatment for everyone.

Dr. Randall Bateman joined UsAgainstAlzheimer's on our September Alzheimer’s Talks to share his work on the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU), which hopes to prevent cognitive impairment. Researchers are looking at people with dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s disease, a specific form of Alzheimer’s that strikes at a young age, in attempts to predict not just who will get the disease but when they will get it. This study will hopefully have application for all people with Alzheimer’s to prevent cognitive loss.