UHC/CWRU ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH CENTER

The three-part of the Alzheimer Center of University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University Medical School is 1) to provide clinical service, 2) to promote research and 3) to educate health professionals and the lay public into the causes and treatments of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have learned much about the biological basis of AD in the past six years, yet the disease persists. The pace of discovery gives us hope, but the persistence of the disease is a reminder that much more needs to be done. To approach this task, this application proposes four research projects. Dr. Lamb will investigate the behavioral and pathological deficits of mice engineered to mimic early onset forms of AD. Dr. Landreth will explore the role of inflammatory processes and ectopic cell cycle components in the neurodegenerative processes of AD. Dr. Smyth will examine the dynamics and effectiveness of various forms of computer-mediated support to caregivers of persons with AD. Dr. Whitlatch will study the congruence between the treatment preferences of persons with dementia and their caregivers. These four studies plus the projects of many researchers throughout Greater Cleveland depend on the support services offered by the eight Cores. Dr. Herrup will direct the Administration Core that oversees the operations of the entire ADRC. The Clinical Core, under Dr. Geldmacher, will recruit and characterize AD research subjects. The Neuropathology Core, under Dr. Gambetti, will perform pathological diagnosis of dementia cases and controls and assist in the analyses of animal models. Dr. Neundorfer will run our Minority Recruitment Satellite. Dr. Smyth will lead the Management and Analysis Core that stores and helps to analyze the data sets collected during the previous 12 years. Dr. Stuckey will direct the Education & Information Transfer Core to disseminate reliable information on AD and its treatment to students, professionals and the public. Dr. Herrup will run the Laboratory Services Core that will offer access to a range of AD animal models. This renewal application describes the structure of an ADRC aimed at further our knowledge of Alzheimer's disease itself and developing the most effective means of easing the burden of AD for both its sufferers and their caregivers.