Speaker
Sidney Strickland, Ph.D., Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics

Host
Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Ph.D., President and Carson Family Professor

More than five million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease. It is projected that the number of cases in the U.S. will triple by 2050. And while Alzheimer’s research is a major priority at academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies, progress in developing therapies has been slow and frustrating. At least three Alzheimer’s drug trials have failed in the past 18 months.

Although scientists have identified several molecular features of the disease, the actual causes of Alzheimer’s-related dementia have yet to be explained. One area that warrants major attention, according to Sidney Strickland of The Rockefeller University, is the network of blood vessels that supplies the brain with oxygen and nutrients. For example, research in the Strickland laboratory has shown that fibrin, a key protein in blood clotting, is a critical mediator of Alzheimer’s-related pathogenesis.

Dr. Strickland and his colleagues have also demonstrated that beta-amyloid, a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease, alters the formation of blood clots in a way that increases inflammation and brain cell death. This discovery points to a new link between vascular biology and a widely recognized feature of Alzheimer’s pathology. The role of the circulatory system is attracting added scientific interest because some risk factors for cardiovascular disease are also known to increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s.

On Thursday, November 7, Dr. Strickland will discuss his research on the complex causes of dementia, with a particular focus on the regulation of the blood clotting system and its possible role in Alzheimer’s disease. He will also touch on potential clinical outcomes of this work, including a better understanding of the different forms of dementia, diagnostic tests for Alzheimer’s disease based on blood biomarkers, and therapies that target features of blood clotting and inflammation as a way to prevent dementia or slow the progress of symptoms.

Dr. Strickland, who heads the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics at Rockefeller, also serves as the University’s vice president for educational affairs and dean of graduate and postgraduate studies. In addition, he coordinates the University’s educational outreach initiatives for science teachers, high school students, and college undergraduates.

For more information please contact Dustin Gerding at (212) 327-7712 or tegp@rockefeller.edu