Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease which affects nearly 12 million people across the world causing personality changes, memory loss and requires an inordinate amount of care diverting government and family resources towards the affected individual. Currently no known cure or preventative treatment exists and treatment only delays the onset of symptoms by a few months. The symptoms of AD are believed to be caused by the protein amyloid-beta which has been shown to form structures called amyloid oligomers which are believed to cause small pores in brain cells and predate the onset of AD symptoms. Current tests are unable to predict the onset of AD except to confirm its existence. I am proposing the development of a biosensor (molecular probe) which can be injected into the patient which binds to these amyloid oligomers. The patient can then undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies which will show the presence of these biosensor, and hence, the presence of amyloid oligomers. The detection of these oligomers will provide advance notice of impending Alzheimer's symptoms allowing patients to undergo preventive Alzheimer's treatment which is currently being developed by other researchers. This will slow the onset of AD, providing more independence for Alzheimer's patients, reducing the care giving burden on the families of the patients, and allowing economic resource to be allocated in ways of greater benefit to society.