By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — A potential new drug to prevent Alzheimer’s disease in people with the so-called Alzheimer’s gene has been discovered by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) research team led by Sue Griffin, Ph.D.

UAMS’ Sue Griffin, Ph.D., and Meenakshisundaram, Balasubramaniam, Ph.D., led the discovery of the potential Alzheimer’s drug for people with the inherited Alzheimer’s gene.

The findings were published Jan. 8 in Communications Biology and include discoveries of a druggable target and a drug candidate, made by Meenakshisundaram Balasubramaniam, Ph.D., the paper’s first author.

An estimated 50-65% of people with Alzheimer’s disease have inherited the Alzheimer’s gene, Apolipoprotein E4 (APOEε4), from one or both parents. About 25% of people have one copy of APOEε4 and are three times as likely to develop the disease. Those with two copies (one from each parent) make up 2-3% of the population and are 12-15 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

UAMS Research Team Discovers Potential Alzheimer’s Drug

UAMS' Sue Griffin, Ph.D., and Meenakshisundaram, Balasubramaniam, Ph.D., led the discovery of the potential Alzheimer's drug for people with the inherited Alzheimer's gene.

By David Robinson

Sept. 29, 2021 | LITTLE ROCK — A UAMS-led research team has found that blood clots form in puncture wounds similar to a skyscraper, with rooms and furnishings that scientists can now see. Published in Communications Biology, the discovery of the vaulted thrombus (blood clot) structure surprised researchers and is a big change from a long-held hypothesis.

The Sept. 16 Communications Biology publication follows a $2.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) award in August to expand on the research by UAMS’ Brian Storrie, Ph.D., lead author and principal investigator. The findings could affect drug development for bleeding regulation, which is one area he will explore as part of the grant.

Collaborators outside of UAMS include researchers from the University of Kentucky and the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).

https://news.uams.edu/2021/09/29/uams-research-team-upends-understanding-of-how-blood-clots-form-nih-awards-2-5-million-for-further-study/

Brian Storrie, Ph.D., with members of the research team (standing, l-r), Kelly Ball, M.S., Sung Rhee, Ph.D., and Irina Pokrovskaya, M.S., displays images of blood platelets that have combined to seal a puncture wound.