Alzheimers Disease Beyond Abeta

Keystone Symposia, Silverthorne CO

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is to request support for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled "Alzheimer's Disease Beyond Abeta", organized by JoAnne McLaurin and Tony Wyss-Coray, which will be held in Copper Mountain, Colorado from January 10 - 15, 2010. By 2010 many of the clinical trials presently underway targeting Abeta will have been completed or far enough along the pathway that we will have a better understanding of the benefit and limitations of this approach. This leads us to consider what are the next targets that will need to be addressed to fully treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD)? The objective of the Alzheimer's Disease Beyond Abeta meeting is therefore to stimulate and promote a discussion beyond Abeta as a key factor and therapeutic target in AD. This objective will be equally important whether therapeutic approaches targeting Abeta are successful or not, to either complement and expand successful Abeta therapies or to initiate a paradigm shift. In particular, we would like to discuss the generation of alternative models to study AD, and highlight several exciting areas of research including the role of synaptic dysfunction, neuronal regeneration, the immune system, and protein degradation in AD. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that leads to progressive cognitive dysfunction and is rapidly becoming the major health concern of people 60 and older. Current knowledge of the processes leading to AD is still limited, and no effective treatments are available. A[unreadable] has become the major focus of research and therapy development in the field;however, it has been difficult to assign A[unreadable] a causal role in sporadic AD. The Alzheimer's Disease Beyond Abeta meeting will stimulate and promote a discussion beyond A[unreadable] as a key factor and therapeutic target in AD in order to either complement and expand successful A[unreadable] therapies or to initiate a paradigm shift.