High hopes for research into Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the University of Lethbridge’s Canadian Centre for Behavourial Neuroscience (CCBN) are trying to see if they can identify the earliest indications of Alzheimer’s disease, which can appear as much as 20 or 30 years before the most drastic symptoms appear.

U of L neuroscientists want to track the gradual emergence of Alzheimer’s through a stateof-the-art imaging research program that could ultimately lead to earlier diagnoses, prevention strategies and evaluation of new treatments.

Dr. Robert Sutherland, principal investigator, and coinvestigators Robert McDonald, Bruce McNaughton and Majid Mohajerani, will primarily use rodent models to understand the underlying biological processes associated with the development of Alzheimer’s.The group of researchers will conduct experiments on rodents from adolescence to old age, roughly six weeks to six months of age, looking at genetic makeup, environmental interventions and potential drug therapies while measuring behaviour, biological markers and imaging the brain.

The research team expects to develop an animal platform that will quickly predict which treatments and preventive measures will be effective in Alzheimer’s disease, thus giving drug and academic labs and international partners the chance to test candidate therapeutics before clinical trials.

“Our proposal will lead to faster and more predictable development of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease,” says Sutherland.

Seed funding for this groundbreaking research was provided through the Hope for Tomorrow Dementia Research Catalyst Grant from the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories. The $500,000 grant awarded to the U of L has been matched by the University of Lethbridge, Polaris Award fund, CAIP Chair Award in Brain Aging and Dementia, Harley Hotchkiss Memorial Fund, Bette Beswick and an anonymous donor.