The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) provided legislators with recent findings and local resources available on Alzheimer’s Disease.
State Representative Tammy Exum and the Alzheimer’s Association CT Chapter hosted the legislative briefing which covered new research and local support resources so that legislators can assist their constituents confronting this deadly disease.
JAX, an MCG client, has distinguished itself from other Alzheimer’s research organizations by incorporating genetic diversity to study the disease. Researchers have traditionally used a single type of mouse as a test subject. However, JAX “incorporates genetic diversity in its mouse models in the same way we see genetic diversity in the human population,” says Gareth Howell, PhD, associate professor at The Jackson Laboratory.
Howell says it’s important to continue studying this complex disease because even with the vast amount of money and research dedicated to Alzhemeir’s over the last 25 years, 99.6% of clinical trials have failed to target the critical features of Alzhemeir’s Disease.
Howell believes there is a need for more precise models for Alzhiermer’s, and in order to do that, “We need to change the way we think about the disease,” he says.
You can watch the briefing here by entering the passcode: GKtd+P0.