Amorfix achieves milestone in developing Alzheimers test :
"Amorfix's Epitope Protection (EP) technology, is able to detect amyloid, an accumulation of protein aggregates, which are also formed in Alzheimer's disease. With this advancement, Amorfix will be committing additional resources to develop an ultra-sensitive blood test for Alzheimer's disease, based upon Amorfix's patent-pending EP technology...."

Drug study aimed at Hispanics
:
"A clinical trial under way in Las Vegas brings to light not only the increased rate of Alzheimer's disease among Hispanics but also the challenges in getting Hispanics to participate in such trials.

The study, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, will try to determine whether Donepezil, a common medication for Alzheimer's, reacts the same in Hispanics as in other groups.

Effective treatment information is crucial because Hispanics already have a high incidence of the disease (more than 200,000 cases nationwide from a population of 42 million) and are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country. A recent report by the Alzheimer's Association indicates that based on current trends, more than 1.3 million Hispanics will fall victim to the disease by 2050.

Unfortunately, as Dr. Charles Bernick of the Nevada School of Medicine points out, that estimate may be low.

"Hispanics are also expected to have the longest life expectancy of any ethnic group as well, and age is the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease," he said.

Experts attribute Hispanic longevity to genetics, cultural aspects such as solid family ties, and lifestyle and behavior choices.

It is believed that by the middle of the century, the life expectancy of U.S. Hispanics will increase to 87 years, which means they will jump from 5 percent of the overall elderly population to 16 percent, according to the Alzheimer's Association. In addition, Hispanics develop symptoms of Alzheimer's about five years sooner than other groups, which further expands the pool of people potentially affected. ....."

Alzheimer's Drug Candidate Caprospinol Shows Favorable Results in Acute Toxicity Study
- MSN :
"Samaritan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( announced today, its Alzheimer's research compound Caprospinol (SP-233) demonstrated no toxicity, when administered orally in an Acute Toxicity Study. Preclinical studies suggest Caprospinol (SP-233) exhibits neuroprotective properties against beta- amyloid-induced toxicity which could be indicative of a promising treatment for Alzheimer's disease."

woman contributes to national quilt to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease
: "After spending years in the medical field, Patricia Gray thought she could handle anything. So when doctors diagnosed her 56-year-old husband Lawrence with Alzheimers disease, she wasn%u2019t the least bit fazed.

“I thought I could deal with it. No problem,” said the Georgetown resident. “But there is no way to describe it to anyone. You get sympathy, but people don’t understand you have to deal with this 24 hours a day.”

Lawrence, 63, is now in the final stages of the disease. His wife still cares for him, but she admits it’s getting “harder and harder” each day.

To try and make people aware of the disease and what caregivers must deal with on a daily basis, Gray decided to help get the word out. To do this, she is quilting a a 4 foot-by-4-foot block which will be part of the Alzheimer’s Association of New York’s giant quilt which will be on display in Central Park in November. The organization has put the word out nationwide, and Gray said her part of the quilt is finished...

Alzheimer's research drives novelist:
"The motivations for being a novelist vary. For many, it's the potential fame and possible fortune. For others, it's the love of putting together sentences from the English language. For Woodland author Julie Casper, it's raising money for Alzheimer's research.Casper stayed up late into the night caring for her mother who was suffering from the effects of the Alzheimer's. Feeling powerless while caring for a loved-one with a degenerative disease dejected Casper.'As I started getting into this, I was really frustrated that there was no cure for what my mother had,' Casper said. 'You always feel helpless.'Casper, who holds a doctorate in Earth science, always loved writing. In school she also wrote for the school newspaper. Naturally, her thoughts turned toward prose during the tedious care of her mother. During that time, at 42 years old, she began her first novel.'Writing was almost like an emotional escape from the day to day of having to deal with Alzheimer's and how depressing and frustrating that was,' Casper said. 'Writing allowed me an escape, the same as someone watching a movie. It was kind of respite, therapeutic.... in a way. It was entertainment for me while I could still be close by to her. It kind of eased the stress.'While writing, she also thought of ways to help her mother and others with Alzheimer's. She decided to dedicate the proceeds from her book to Alzheimer's research......"