"together we are achieving so much": funding world class research by alison cranage,...

Funding world class researchAlison Cranage, Alzheimer’s Research UK

Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading charity specialising in finding preventions, treatments and a cure for dementia

Why are we here?

~800,000 have dementia

25,000,000know someone with dementia

£23billion a yearcost of dementia to the economy

12Xmore spent on cancer research than dementia research

Our research

So far we’ve spent

£50m on dementia research

We’re currently supporting

£20mresearch projects

Drug Discovery Institute

What do we know about dementia and how can we defeat it?

100 years of Alzheimer’s Disease research

Alois Alzheimer(1864-1915)

Auguste Deter

Asst. to Emil Kraepelin

What is dementia?

A collection of symptoms, including a decline in memory, reasoning and communication skills, and a gradual loss of skills needed to carry out daily activities.

What causes dementia?

•Nerve cells become damaged

•Breakdown in communication

•Certain parts of the brain start to shrink

Hallmark changes in Alzheimer’s

tauamyloid

Other processes involved in dementias

Development of new treatments

Current treatments help with symptoms

• Donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, memantine

There are no treatments that can slow or stop the disease process

To develop such treatments, we must

• UNDERSTAND the disease

• find suitable TARGETS for treatments

• test the treatment in the right PEOPLE at the right TIME

Diagnosis

Research improving detection of dementia

Research into risk factors and prevention

• Age

• Cardiovascular risk factors• Healthy weight• Balanced diet• No smoking• Control blood pressure & cholesterol• Exercise• Drinking within recommended limits

• New genes linked to risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s

What else do we do?

Campaigning and lobbying

Dementia Challenge Research Group

Health Information

Working with others

Current policy

Dementia Challenge...

Doubling funding to £66m by 2014/15

The Lab www.dementialab.org

Fundraising

Help us defeat dementia

Donate

Fundraise

Volunteer

Speak out

Leave a gift in your Will

www.alzheimersresearchuk.org