Lennart Mucke
The public is invited to hear about the latest in Alzheimer's disease research at a free talk on Wednesday, March 15.
The lecture, titled "Fighting Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders," will be led by Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease Director Lennart Mucke, MD, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. in the Mahley Auditorium at the Gladstone Institutes, 1650 Owens Street, at the UCSF Mission Bay campus.
This lecture is the first in a Gladstone "Science for Life" series intended to inform the general public about the research being conducted at the
Gladstone Institutes, a group of UCSF-affiliated medical research institutes investigating causes of cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS and neurological disorders.
The March 15 talk will address such questions as how the brain forms memories, how Alzheimer's takes them away, how the nation's public health system will be taxed in coming decades as growing numbers of baby boomers are diagnosed with the disease, what types of new treatments are in sight, and whether a cure is on the horizon.
"This is an exciting time in neurological research," says Mucke, a professor of neurology and neuroscience at the UCSF. "Breakthroughs in our understanding of Alzheimer's and related diseases are taking place all the time. It's a race against time, though, with the demographic bulge of baby boomers now approaching their 60s and soon their 70s, ages when Alzheimer's disease is so often diagnosed."
In his presentation, Mucke will explore the various proteins, including amyloid beta and apolipoprotein E4, whose aggregation, fragmentation and/or malfunctioning are thought to play key roles in causing Alzheimer's disease. He will also outline potential new treatments in the drug development pipeline, many of which specifically target these proteins.
The talk is scheduled as part of Brain Awareness Week, an international effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and a coalition of over 1,200 science, advocacy, and other health organizations that share an interest in elevating public awareness of brain and nervous system research.
For more details, contact
Denise Murray, 415/734-2505.
Source: John Watson
