Geneva Media Information

April 5, 2006

New Findings in Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Therapy to be

Presented April 19-22 at a Symposium in Switzerland

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., USA, (April 5, 2006) – The significance of immunotherapy clinical trials, a newly discovered protein in diseased animal models, and the results of a large study indicating the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are among the topics to be discussed at the 9 th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on the Advances in Alzheimer Therapy. The four-day congress will be held April 19-22 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Included in the more than 100 presentations will be sessions covering stem cell therapy, identifying genetic causes of the disease and treatment of associated behavioral symptoms.

In a 2002 clinical trial, 765 patients with Alzheimer's disease in the United States and Europe were immunized in an attempt to trigger an immunological response and to build antibodies targeting the beta-amyloid protein in the brains of the participants. The results of that trial will be presented by speakers in two sessions on April 20, "Immunotherapy of Alzheimer Disease" and "Which Immunotherapy?"

Ways to inhibit production of the toxic protein, tau, will be reviewed by several speakers in the April 22 session, "Inhibition of Tau Phosphorylation. A New Target for Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy." Karen Duff, Ph.D., Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, New York, will outline the impact of kinase modulation on pathogenesis in animal models.

The intake of large quantities of dietary fat in mid-life and heavy drinking have been found to increase the risk of dementia in individuals who were part of a large study conducted in Finland. By the same measure, persons who exercise at least twice a week cut their risk of the disease in half. Presentations by various speakers covering “Influence of Nutrition and Lifestyle on Cognition and Dementia” will be held on April 22.

Also discussing "Immunotherapy of Alzheimer Disease" is Dr. Roger Nitsch, professor of molecular psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Sweden, one of the featured speakers. Dr. Nick Fox, professor of neurology and Medical Research Council senior fellow, Institute of Neurology, London, England, will discuss magnetic resonance imaging of changes in brain morphology as it relates to the immunotherapy of Alzheimer's disease.

In other sessions, Dr. Stephen L. Minger, Ph.D., Wolfson Center for Age-Related Disease, London, England, will discuss cell replacement strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders as one possible therapeutic option in his presentation entitled, "Stem Cell Therapy of AD: Which Way to Go?"

Dr. Ezio Giacobini, professor of rehabilitation and geriatrics, University of Geneva Medical School, Switzerland, and professor emeritus at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A., will highlight the long-term role of cholinesterase inhibitors in Alzheimer therapy. Rudy Tanzi, Ph.D., professor of neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA, will outline the genetic causes of Alzheimer's disease.

The International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on the Advances in Alzheimer Therapy was first held in 1988 in Springfield, Illinois, USA. The conference is held every other year.

Information about the conference is posted online at: www.siumed./edu/cme/alzheimer/media.