The grants were awarded to Professor Sir John Hardy, PhD, FRS, and Professor Nader Saffari, PhD, MSc, BSc, in support of their innovative Alzheimer's disease research.
Professor Hardy, Chair of Molecular Biology of Neurological Disease at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, received a three-year, $231,239 grant to investigate the role of genetics in determining speed of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. A summary of Professor Hardy’s project is below:
We have spent billions of dollars and decades studying Alzheimer's disease (AD) but have not yet found an effective treatment. Most are based on our research into understanding factors increasing the risk of getting AD. Modification of those factors are then used to see if the speed at which AD progresses can be slowed down. However, there is no evidence that factors that determine risk of getting AD are the same as those that affect progression of AD! Genetics can tell us about biology. By reusing clinical trial data and their genetics, we can see what the biology of progression is.
Professor Saffari, a Professor of Ultrasonics in UCL’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, received a three-year, $299,217 grant to study whether ultrasound can trigger immune cells to clear toxins in Alzheimer’s disease. A summary of Professor Saffari’s project is below:
As the population ages, Alzheimer’s disease cases are increasing and a build-up in the brain of a harmful protein, called amyloid beta (Aß), is a key factor. Current treatments to reduce Aß levels are costly and can cause serious side effects, including brain bleeding. This study explores ultrasound as a safe, non-invasive way to help brain immune cells, called microglia, clear these proteins: ultrasound activates microglia, restoring their ability to clean the brain, and this promising method could offer a more effective and affordable treatment for Alzheimer’s.
Over 7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, terminal brain disorder that has no known cause or cure. Unless scientists can unlock the secrets of this disease, the number of cases is expected to triple by the year 2050.
“This year’s grant recipients represent some of the boldest, most promising investigators in vision and brain health research,” said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. “Their groundbreaking work brings hope to millions around the world with these debilitating conditions.”
BrightFocus is currently funding 112 active Alzheimer’s research grants worldwide, an investment of more than $30 million in studies aimed at improving early detection and diagnosis, advancing treatment options, and uncovering the root causes of disease onset. These grants are highly competitive and awarded following a rigorous review process led by expert scientific advisory committees of leading researchers in the field.
BrightFocus Foundation is a premier private nonprofit funder of early-stage research around the world to discover cures for diseases of mind and sight. Through its programs Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research, the Foundation has awarded more than $300 million in innovative research grants. Learn more at brightfocus.org.