 |
 |
Scripps' Library of Chemicals To Be Weapon In Fight Against Alzheimer's, Parkinson's By Shana Gruskin Staff Writer Posted April 6 2004 Within two years, experts hunting for breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and similar diseases will flock to Palm Beach County to test their theories against a library of chemicals at a very expensive, specialized lab. Scientists use these multimillion-dollar chemical screening facilities to find the one compound or "hit" that may reverse or halt brain deterioration. Dr. Jeff Kelly, of the nonprofit Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., likens the work to gold prospecting. While tedious, the payoff can be enormous in terms of advancing the search for a cure. The problem: These labs are few and far between, and most often found within the walls of major drug companies. But Scripps, which is expanding to a biotechnology research park in western Palm Beach County, plans to change that, Kelly said. As part of Florida's enticement to lure Scripps here, the company is receiving $569 million in state and county money for the next seven years. Scripps' California labs will continue to work on basic scientific research. The Florida site will take that research and translate it into potential drugs. Some of the public money going toward Scripps Florida will pay for the screening facility, as well as many other highly technical laboratories. That, plus a $1 million donation to Scripps Florida from Palm Beach County businesswoman Elizabeth Fago specifically for Alzheimer's -- as well as a handful of other Alzheimer's projects across the state -- will help propel Florida to the forefront of research. Timely research All this comes at a time when local caregivers are aching for some answers. "I'd like to see that if somebody is in the early stage [of Alzheimer's disease], that we can have a medication that can stop them from going into the later stages," said Sue Keeling, director of the Alzheimer's Association's Adult Day Center in Delray Beach. "I'd love to be able to see that in my lifetime." About 400,000 people suffer from Alzheimer's in Florida. In all, about 4 million have been diagnosed with the disease in the United States. A major breakthrough will take more than a dozen years and close to $2 billion, Kelly said. But he's confident it will happen. "Our goal is to develop new drugs for Alzheimer's disease that are truly novel," he said. That means the medication would go beyond treating symptoms to significantly reducing the damage caused by the disease, if not actually curing it. Fading away That's what Teresa Casas, 41, of Boca Raton, wants to hear. Casas' mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in August 2002. Since then, 82-year-old Virginia Casas has lost most of her short-term and long-term memory. "The person can just fade away, and they're right in front of you," she said. While she usually is preoccupied with caring for her mother, Casas admitted she sometimes fears for her own future. When she was 25, Casas was in a coma for three weeks after being in a car accident. She has heard that those who suffer serious head injuries have a higher chance of developing the disease later in life. "That's also little bit scary but ... hopefully by the time I'm older, things will be different," she said. Kelly said researchers are making inroads into what causes Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Only about 5 percent of people, typically those who come down with symptoms in their 50s or 60s, inherit it. It appears the rest may develop the disease as a result of some sort of chronic inflammation in their brain. That inflammation, he said, could be the result of environmental factors, of a bacteria or virus or of high cholesterol. Researchers have found when patients are given cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, or other drugs that reduce inflammation, they appear to be less likely to develop Alzheimer's and similar diseases, he said. But he said there's still much work to be done, which is why the screening facility is vital. "Right now we talk a lot about Alzheimer's disease, but we can't do very much about it," Kelly said. He and his researchers are itching to do something about that. Alzheimer's center Barry Solomon, director of the deHoernle Alzheimer's Pavilion in Deerfield Beach, said that while he's thrilled research will be ongoing in his back yard, he hopes Florida will create a more cohesive approach to Alzheimer's. Under the leadership of House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, the Legislature -- which is now in session -- is hashing out how much money to give to the University of South Florida's newly established Alzheimer's Research Center. Gov. Jeb Bush set aside $11 million in his proposed budget for the center, while a Senate budget-writing committee has approved $15 million. Byrd's father has Alzheimer's. The Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville also is working on Alzheimer's and similar diseases, as is the University of Miami. "I have concern about money being spent, and is it being spent in some sort of controlled way?" Solomon said. "Is it catalogued? Do we know what each competing unit around the state is doing?" Kelly said he's in monthly contact with the researchers at the Mayo Clinic. And he's made a commitment to Byrd that, when applicable, Scripps will work closely with USF researchers as well. He said that if Scripps develops a promising therapy, the institute would find a site in Florida for clinical trials. The site's location would depend on what hospital, clinic or university has the most experience in that arena. "This is not a problem that is likely to be entirely solved by one group of folks," he said. Shana Gruskin can be reached at [log in to unmask] or 561-243-6537. SOURCE: South Florida Sun-Sentinel, FL http://tinyurl.com/28ynf * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn