People who are worried about Alzheimer’s disease or know someone with Alzheimer’s disease could be interested in an expanding, five year international study that is probing the genetic root of AD (the sixth-leading killer in the US).
It is called the TOMMORROW study, and is being done in 50 locations in North America, Europe and Australia. The clinical study is testing a drug that has been used in the past for diabetes to see if it could at least delay AD onset.
According to experts, this study uses a different approach than any that have come before it. The purpose is the study is to actually delay the onset of the disease, not to treat the symptoms.
Researchers say they also want to have a better understanding of who is most likely to get the disease, according to their genetic profile.
Participants in this study must be from 65-83 and have no current signs of AD. They also have to carry a set of genetic markers that are thought to put them at higher risk for the disease. This is something that a blood test can determine.
Participants are checked for genetic mutations of the apolipoprotein E gene, or APOE-e. This is associated with a higher number of protein clumps called amyloid and tau. These clumps are associated with the onset of AD. Researchers are especially interested in the TOMM40 gene, which is thought to interact with APOE-e.
After several years of study, researchers think they will be able to compare data between those who get the diabetes drug and those who got the placebo. They will see if those who get the drug have less chance of getting the disease.
While there currently is no cure for Alzheimer’s, these types of studies certainly are encouraging that progress is being made to at least delay the onset of AD.
