Metlife Foundation Recognizes Alzheimer's Researchers Amongst Awards

MetLife Foundation today announced the recipients of its 2012 Awards for Medical Research inwards Alzheimer’s Disease: Clifford R. Jack Jr., M.D., professor of Radiology in addition to The Alexander Family Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), in addition to Christine Van Broeckhoven, Ph.D. D.Sc., professor in addition to subdivision manager of the VIB Department of Molecular Genetics at the University of Antwerp (Belgium).

In addition, Randall J. Bateman, M.D., associate professor of Neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine inwards St. Louis, is recipient of MetLife Foundation’s Promising Investigator Award.

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Dr. Jack, an innovator inwards clinical studies of encephalon construction inwards disease, developed in addition to applied imaging methodologies to create upward one's hear in addition to rails the stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Van Broeckhoven, a basic scientist in addition to skilful inwards molecular genetics, has made groundbreaking discoveries establishing the genetic footing of inherited Alzheimer’s affliction in addition to related disorders. Dr. Bateman, a neurologist in addition to biochemist, has pioneered the usage of measurements of beta-amyloid poly peptide inwards the encephalon to amend empathise the biochemical footing of this illness.

The winners were recognized at a scientific briefing in addition to awards ceremony today inwards New York.

“MetLife Foundation is proud to nowadays these awards that recognize outstanding achievements inwards medical research,” said Dennis White, president in addition to primary executive officer, MetLife Foundation. “Doctors Jack, Van Broeckhoven in addition to Bateman choose made pregnant contributions to our agreement of Alzheimer’s affliction in addition to their dedication helps choose us closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.”

About the Awards

Now inwards their 26th year, the awards render outstanding researchers amongst an chance to freely pursue novel ideas. At the pump of the plan is a belief inwards interrogation every bit the route to agreement in addition to ultimately treating this devastating disease. Each major honour recipient receives a $200,000 interrogation grant for his or her establishment to farther their work, in addition to a personal prize of $50,000. The recipient of the Promising Investigator Award receives a $100,000 grant to his establishment to farther his piece of job inwards Alzheimer’s disease. MetLife Foundation established the awards inwards 1986 to recognize in addition to vantage scientists demonstrating pregnant contributions to the agreement of Alzheimer’s disease.

The MetLife Awards for Medical Research inwards Alzheimer’s Disease are managed past times the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR). Founded inwards 1981, AFAR has championed the elbow grease in addition to supported the funding of scientific discipline inwards healthier aging in addition to age-related medicine.

“We choose selected these individuals because of their novel in addition to pregnant approaches to Alzheimer’s disease, which are paving the agency for additional discoveries that are of import for diagnosis in addition to treatments for this disease,” said Donald L. Price, M.D., chair of the MetLife Awards for Research inwards Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee, which selected the winners. Dr. Price, professor of Pathology, Neurology in addition to Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is a previous recipient of the MetLife Award.

According to recent estimates past times the Alzheimer’s Association, the issue of Americans aged 65 in addition to older amongst Alzheimer’s affliction volition plough over sixteen ane G one thousand past times 2050. Alzheimer’s costs related to wellness aid in addition to long-term aid services are expected to full $200 billion this year.

Significant Discoveries That Have Shaped the Field
Drs. Jack, Van Broeckhoven in addition to Bateman choose made pregnant discoveries that choose clarified our understanding, shaped novel approaches to the disorder, in addition to changed our thought of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Jack is a pioneer inwards developing medical imaging methods that position biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. Identification in addition to validation of biomarkers – characteristics that mensurate a biological state, such every bit a phase of affliction – is a major objective inwards agreement in addition to developing treatments for this disease. Starting inwards the early on 1990s, Dr. Jack introduced imaging methods to assist delineate manifestations of the affliction inwards the brain, assess its severity, mensurate affliction progression, in addition to brand predictions regarding its futurity course. These concepts choose been widely adopted. Dr. Jack’s initial studies focused on a type of encephalon imaging known every bit anatomic MRI, simply he has also contributed pioneering piece of job inwards other areas including MR spectroscopy, diffusion imaging, functional MRI, high plain microimaging, in addition to amyloid PET analyses of amyloid burden.

He has integrated data from measures of biomarkers for the disease, derived from studies of cardinal nervous organisation imaging in addition to levels of markers inwards cerebrospinal fluid, into a comprehensive model of encephalon abnormalities inwards parallel amongst clinical features. The staging of presymptomatic (preclinical) Alzheimer’s affliction inwards late published National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association criteria was based largely on his model.

Dr. Van Broeckhoven is a leader inwards the molecular genetics of Alzheimer’s affliction in addition to other complex neurological in addition to psychiatric disorders. Her interrogation has established critical features of the genetic footing of dissimilar types of dementia. Nearly xxx twelvemonth ago, she identified the cistron encoding APP (amyloid precursor protein), the outset cistron linked to familial Alzheimer’s disease. She in addition to her colleagues demonstrated the interest of the brain’s blood vessels inwards the neurodegenerative process. She helped position the presenilin-1 cistron on chromosome fourteen every bit an additional cistron involved inwards inherited cases of Alzheimer’s affliction in addition to contributed of import data on the role of apolipoprotein E4, a poly peptide that binds blood lipids, every bit a chance element for both late-onset in addition to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Van Broeckhoven’s most recent piece of job has focused on the genetics of other neurodegenerative diseases. She in addition to her colleagues identified the cistron that encodes the poly peptide progranulin, an observation that provided the outset bear witness that increment factors play a major role inwards neurodegeneration inwards for certain types of dementia.

Dr. Bateman has pioneered the usage of Stable Isotope Labeling Kinetics (SILK) measurements of these affliction markers inwards cerebrospinal fluid. Using this method, he has shown that people amongst Alzheimer’s create non properly eliminate amyloid-beta – the poly peptide that builds into plaques inwards the brains of those amongst Alzheimer’s – from the encephalon every bit good every bit those without the disease. With a primary focus on the ways inwards which the affliction changes the brain’s functional properties – inwards guild to prepare amend diagnostic in addition to handling strategies – his lab has begun to report additional Alzheimer’s related proteins in addition to their potential roles inwards the affliction process.

In add-on to conducting clinical trials, Dr. Bateman is manager of the Therapeutic Trials Unit of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network, the largest international report of autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease. He has led efforts to brand effective experimental treatments available to people amongst this hereditary shape of the illness, amongst the destination of preventing clinical dementia earlier cognitive impairments are evident.

For additional background on the honour recipients, visit: http://www.afar.org/research/MLF-awards

About MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation was established inwards 1976 past times MetLife to send on its long tradition of corporate contributions in addition to community involvement. For over 25 years, MetLife in addition to MetLife Foundation choose invested to a greater extent than than $20 ane G one thousand for Alzheimer's interrogation in addition to world data programs, including over $13 ane G one thousand through the Awards for Medical Research inwards Alzheimer’s Disease program. The Foundation has also supported a issue of major initiatives, including the PBS documentary The Forgetting: H5N1 Portrait of Alzheimer’s; brusk bag films on Alzheimer's narrated past times David Hyde-Pierce; an educational first amongst the National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Disease Centers; the cinema Alzheimer’s Disease: Facing the Facts; in addition to initiatives that include caregiving videos, Alzheimer's toolkits in addition to resources for the Hispanic community.

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