WUSTL to lead new international Alzheimer's disease research network

Scientists already have several potential indicators, known as biomarkers, of the early onset of Alzheimer's disease. However, the only current way to confirm their validity is to wait years or decades and see whether volunteers who have the biomarkers eventually get the disease. DIAN may help scientists shorten this process dramatically by allowing them to look for the potential biomarkers in individuals who have inherited a known mutation from an affected parent and are almost certain to develop the disease.

To get important clues about how and why the disease develops, scientists plan to closely monitor possible biomarkers in DIAN volunteers age 21 and older.

"The most exciting aspect of DIAN is that we have a chance to determine the type and order of brain changes that herald the onset of dementia in years to come," says Morris. "If we're going to develop preventive therapies, we have to know when to target each of the mechanisms in the brain that may be contributing to the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease."

If DIAN volunteers develop the disease, they will be monitored closely to assess how comparable the inherited and sporadic forms of Alzheimer's are.

The grant includes travel funds to allow DIAN volunteers who enrolled at one network site to travel to another network site in order to participate in research unique to the other site.

The range of the seven sites raises a challenge for DIAN in ensuring that all research and diagnostic procedures are standardized so that data can be appropriately compared across all centers.

"If one institution obtains cerebrospinal fluid at 6 a.m. to test brain protein levels and another obtains samples at 6 p.m., it may be impossible to compare results because protein levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day," Morris explains.

Morris has been a leader in the process of standardizing assessment procedures and practices. In 2005, he led the development of a comprehensive set of patient assessment procedures for the 29 federally funded Alzheimer's disease research centers in the United States. He plans to work with other DIAN investigators to integrate these standards and others already developed for Alzheimer's research into the new collaboration.

Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked third in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.