International Trials Day - Stratastem
Stratification of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease for drug discovery II
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and irreversible disease in which patients show gradual impairment of cognition that affects their ability to make new memories and to carry out simple daily tasks. Little is known about how and why Alzheimer's disease develops.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is difficult, particularly in early stages of the disease, and largely consists of pen and paper tests and brain scans. There are no cures for Alzheimer's disease and there are limited options for treating the symptoms of the disease at the moment.
As a result, there is a pressing need to develop new cell research tools. StrataStem has developed a method of creating working brain cells from blood cells to allow investigation of dementia in a petri dish.
In partnership with Greater Manchester Mental Health Foundation Trust, we are taking blood samples from Alzheimer’s disease patients and healthy donors. This laboratory ‘dementia model’ will help us understand the biology behind Alzheimer’s disease and, potentially, identify new drugs to treat the disease.
It will also help to give a clearer understanding of how the disease starts and progresses. We would like to thank all of the patients and donors that have taken the time and effort to be a part of the study.
