New Research Could Change Lives for Alzheimer's Patients with Down Syndrome
Exploring Early Detection and Prevention
Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to research, a team led by the University of Denver will apply funds from a multi-million dollar grant to study the links between Alzheimer's disease and Down Syndrome. The grant, awarded by the National Institutes of Health, will spur cooperation between areas of study and across the DU campus and beyond, allowing the researchers to approach the nation's sixth-leading cause of death with tools from multiple disciplines.
Though the general scientific understanding of Alzheimer's disease has progressed, it's still unclear how early stages of the affliction can be detected and exploited through early intervention. Focusing the study on Alzheimer's patients with Down Syndrome provides a uniquely useful window for researchers—nearly 80 percent of individuals with Down Syndrome develop Alzheimer's or dementia as they age, increasing the likelihood that study will effectively isolate the beginning signs of Alzheimer's in the brain early enough to enable treatment before the disease progresses.
About Our Research
We leverage cross-institutional collaboration to address some of today’s most pressing challenges, producing interdisciplinary solutions that influence policymakers to effectively serve the public good. From Stanford to UChicago to NYU, we’ve refined our collaborative process through years of mutually beneficial relationships with institutions nationwide to understand and address challenges like climate change, HIV and youth homelessness.
DU’s current research efforts have been featured in news outlets like The New York Times. They include…
- exploring the effects of felony disenfranchisement.
- employing lasers as the medium for quantum science.
- using theatre to heal and rehabilitate inmates.
