Jack Jhamandas is a neurologist at the University of Alberta Hospital; distinguished professor in the Department of Medicine and member of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute at the University of Alberta.
The Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute at the University of Alberta has more than 137 faculty members, 31 post-doctoral fellows and research associates and another 227 trainee members all working in collaboration to study a vast array of neurological and psychiatric disorders and diseases including:
- Alzheimer's, dementia and prion disease
- Degenerative diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson's, Huntington's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Disorders of peripheral nerves (neuropathy)
- Brain development and pediatric neurology
- Memory, learning and learning disabilities
- Psychiatric disorders and addiction
- Sleep apnea and breathing disorders
- Stroke and rehabilitations
- Spinal cord and nerve injury
Looking to solve the puzzle of Alzheimer's
U of A scientist seeks to neutralize rogue protein believed to be a key player in the development of Alzheimer's
By Ross Neitz
Alzheimer's disease affects roughly 500,000 Canadians, a number expected to grow with each passing year. It is a heart-wrenching disease that robs people of their memory and personality. There is no cure, let alone treatment to stop the progression of the disease, but research at the U of A is spearheading the discovery of potential therapies.
In a study published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Intervention, Jack Jhamandas, professor of neurology and NMHI member, and his team examine using a compound called AC253 to inhibit a rogue protein called amyloid. The protein is found in large numbers in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
The team tested AC253 on mice bred to develop Alzheimer's by David Westaway, a collaborating NMHI member and professor in the Department of Medicine. Beginning at three months of age, before the onset of Alzheimer's, the mice were treated with a continuous infusion of AC253 for five months.
"We found at eight months, when these mice typically have a lot of amyloid in the brain and have a lot of difficulty in memory and learning tasks, that they actually improved their memory and learning," said Jhamandas, noting there was a lower amount of amyloid in the brains of mice treated with the AC253 compound and that they exhibited reduced inflammation of the brain.
More work is needed before the research can move into human trials, but the findings offer both hope and a new way forward to unlock the Alzheimer's enigma.
"We can't build nursing homes and care facilities fast enough because of an aging population. That tsunami, that silver tsunami, is coming if it is not already here," said Jhamandas. "If you can keep someone home instead of institutionalized, even for a year, what does that mean to them? It means the world to them and their families."
Jack Jhamandas and his team are supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Alberta Innovates, the Alberta Prion Research Institute, the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories and the University Hospital Foundation.