AD Blood Test Research Teleconference

[RBK]

I received this content below this morning by email from USAgainstAlzheimer's after signing up with them several weeks ago per a post from Gilgamesh. I actually can't make this call, so I'm really hoping someone else can use the information below to sign up for the call and report back what they learn! Without going back and looking, I believe this is the biomarker test the Julie (?) posted about a little while back.


"Researchers have discovered a first-of-its-kind blood test for Alzheimer's disease that can predict – with 90 percent accuracy – if a healthy person will develop this cruel disease within three years.

Dr. Howard Federoff, the Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and Executive Dean of Georgetown University School of Medicine, led the team and will brief us in our next Alzheimer's Talks conversation on May 16 on why his biomarker study is a potential game-changer.

The possibility of catching the disease before a patient ever shows symptoms brings us even closer to finding effective means of prevention. A blood test will enable us to identify people who will get Alzheimer's disease and give them a drug to prevent symptoms. That's why Dr. Federoff's work is so essential to moving toward our 2020 goal.

I hope you can join me to be briefed by Dr. Federoff about his preliminary – but potentially consequential – findings and what they could mean to our mission to stop this disease. Click the button below to register for our call on Friday, May 16, from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET.


This call is made possible by the generous support of the Zickler Family Foundation. I hope to talk with you soon, and thanks for being a part of our mission to end Alzheimer's by 2020.

Sincerely,

George

P.S. Please note that everyone who registers will be called on Friday, May 16 around 1:00 p.m. ET and will be connected automatically to the free teleconference.

More than 400 leading Alzheimer's researchers agree that we can prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer's by 2025 – and it could even be sooner if critical investments and reforms are made. We must SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE funding for Alzheimer's research in the next 5 years and we must DRAMATICALLY SHRINK the time it takes to get new, safe therapies to market.

USAgainstAlzheimer's is a community of enraged and engaged individuals who have been touched by Alzheimer's disease and are committed to achieving the bold and attainable goal of ending Alzheimer's.

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter
Learn more at USAgainstAlzheimers.org"

[Julie G]

Thanks for sharing, RBK. I would be happy to participate in that call if you'll send me the registration info. I was very excited by Federoff's paper and am eager to learn more. In an audio interview, shortly after the paper came out, he hinted at more discoveries with important implications. I'll take notes and report back.

[RBK]

Julie, sorry for the delay here. I think you're going to have to register on their website before you can register for the call. The email I received has "buttons" in it to register or say you can't make it but want the synopsis afterward. It won't let me copy and paste those buttons. Perhaps register online and see if you can get it done through that angle?

[Julie G]

I'm all set. Thanks, RBK. If anyone else wants to join in; I can help hook you up.

[LillyBritches]

Hook me up, mama!

[Julie G]

Happy you can join, Lilly. Does this work?
http://alzheimersspeaks.wordpress.com/t ... -federoff/

[LillyBritches]

Yep! Worked like a charm. Thanks, girly!

Oh, and, listen. I'm kinda embarrassed. I was supposed to have a one-on-one call with Dr. Federoff months ago. I had written him about my whole ApoE4 woe...and he wanted to speak with me. And, heck. He's in DC! I mean, I could probably make an in-person appointment with him.

His assistant kept calling me and we kept trying to arrange the call - finally got a date - and then my mom went into the hospital. I just never pursued it any further.

SO I hope he doesn't recognize my name. LOL!

[Julie G]

I'm sorry you didn't get to talk with him, Lilly...and really glad your Mom's better. I did email with Dr. Federoff, on our behalf, wondering if he could draw prevention advice from the new test. The short answer; no. He agreed it was an intriguing idea...but he and his team hadn't gone that direction.

He has hinted about some newly discovered reliably predictive genes, independent of the new blood test. That, in equal parts, terrifies and enthralls me. I'm hoping that's what he'll talk about on the teleconference.

FWIW, I'm guessing there'll be hundreds on the line. Your name should go unnoticed

[Julie G]

I haven't reported back on this earlier as I experienced a dropped call about 10 minutes into the teleconference. I was quite disappointed, but had the forethought to sign up for a transcript/audiotape in case that happened. I finally received it today & wanted to share it:

http://www.usagainstalzheimersnetwork.o ... mers-talks

Although I missed the bulk of the call, I was VERY encouraged that over 700 other participants (from all over the world) were also listening in. We are not alone in working on this.

EDIT: Check out all if the previous teleconferences at the end- a treasure trove of info!

[Julie G]

I had the chance to listen to the teleconference in it's entirety. I am very pleased that this Georgetown group has extensive plans to expand their work to larger groups spanning longer time periods. Dr. Federoff even spoke of piggybacking onto other already existing longitudinal AD studies- that had also collected and stored bloods. The idea is to determine at exactly what time period the lipid metabolites drop. The drop may occur more than 3-5 years in advance as is now believed.

An intriguingly simple question was raised by one caller, named Jack, regarding cholesterol lowering medications. He asked if THEY could account for the drop in lipid metabolites. Shockingly, Federoff thought that could be a possibility. He suggested that because AM medications weren't taken prior to blood draws that shouldn't be the case. BUT, what about the lipid lowering effect that had preceded that blood draw- from daily use months or years prior??? Federoff's team plans to directly address that concern with separate trials. Sounds like a good idea

Listen if you get a chance; good stuff.