Progress and promise: The Alzheimer’s research landscape

Smith Alzheimer's Center executive director discusses the pursuit of a cure

In the last decade, Alzheimer’s disease research has gained significant momentum. Scientists are uncovering how lifestyle factors influence risk, improving blood-based biomarker testing for earlier and less invasive diagnosis, and advancing treatment options that slow disease progression. But much remains unknown. 

Erin Hascup, PhD, executive director of the Smith Alzheimer’s Center at SIU Medicine, shares some insights on these developments and what the future holds.

What are the latest advances in Alzheimer’s research?

It is generally accepted that identifying and treating Alzheimer’s disease early is the key to improved patient outcomes. We now have a couple of anti-amyloid therapies (lecanemab and donanemab) have been FDA approved to treat early Alzheimer’s disease. Both currently require regular infusions at a medical facility (approximately every 2-4 weeks), plus additional visits for brain scans.

The Smith Alzheimer’s Center started offering both treatments towards the end of 2024 and now has patients receiving both treatments. This is an important first step to effectively treating Alzheimer’s disease. I am confident if we continue to prioritize Alzheimer’s research, treatment options will improve and we will eventually be able to cure Alzheimer’s disease.

Is there any research why Alzheimer’s seems to affect women more than men?

Nearly twice as many women as men develop Alzheimer’s disease, though researchers have yet to pinpoint a single cause. In our own research, we have observed differences between males and females in terms of age at disease onset, severity and progression of the disease, changes in neurotransmission (how cells in the brain communicate), metabolism, responsiveness to interventions (some may be beneficial in one sex and detrimental in another!) and more.

Some of our current and future work aims to determine whether these differences are related to genetics, hormones or both. Understanding these factors could pave the way for more specific and individualized biomarker identification and treatment to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Do we know when Alzheimer’s starts and what causes it?

Alzheimer’s disease begins several years, even decades, prior to noticeable cognitive decline. Among the earliest known biomarkers are changes in soluble beta-amyloid (the precursor to amyloid plaques), alterations in neurotransmission (brain cell communication) and differences in bioenergetics (how the brain uses energy). Our expert faculty and staff in the research laboratories at the Smith Alzheimer’s Center are actively investigating all these areas.

How close are we to finding a cure?

Every day, through research done here in the Smith Alzheimer’s Center labs as well as globally, we come closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Recent advances in biomarker identification and treatment options make me hopeful for the future. If Alzheimer’s research continues to be a funding priority, I feel confident we will find a cure during my lifetime.