President’s Funding Allows Further Research into Stem Cell Treatment for Alzheimer’s

Last month, the Obama administration announced that the President will increase funding for Alzheimer’s research by $50 million this year and $80 million for next year. This additional funding goes towards supporting new research, such as stem cell treatments, that could lead to improved methods of early diagnosis and more effective therapies.

Alzheimer’s affects more than 5 million people in the United States alone, creating an urgent need for more research into methods of prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. In addition to the increase of $50 million to an already allotted $450 million annual budget for research into Alzheimer’s, Obama also adds another $26 million to help caregivers and family members of those suffering from the disease.

The new funding will also further the National Alzheimer’s Project Act mandated by Obama last year and help coordinate efforts to find better ways to prevent and treat the disease, which is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

Alzheimer’s is an irreversible, progressive and ultimately fatal brain disorder that gradually erodes memory, judgment, reasoning ability, speech and other cognitive functions. Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, slowly affecting certain types of nerve cells in particular areas of the brain that eventually die for reasons researchers have not yet discovered. Current treatments only manage symptoms of Alzheimer’s with limited success and, to date, there is no known cure.

One possible novel therapy that shows promise is using stem cells to treat Alzheimer’s. Previous studies have shown that stem cells can create and replace brain cells destroyed by Alzheimer’s, and the new funding by Obama will allow more clinical trials to continue to investigate stem cell treatments.

Research has established that stem cells have the ability to form many other types of cells, including brain cells and neurons. With further investigation, scientists are hopeful to discover the causes that contribute to the development of disease as well as find better methods to delay, prevent and cure Alzheimer’s using stem cell-based therapy.

If you or a loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s, StemGenex encourages you to consider stem cell therapy and offers access to private stem cell treatments. In addition, the Alzheimer’s Association runs a program called TrialMatch that can assist you in finding a clinical trial near you. Do note though that, unlike clinical trials where part of the group is given a placebo (and as a participant you do not have a choice or know which group you fall into), private stem cell treatments are guaranteed to be delivered to the patient through StemGenex.

StemGenex, having witnessed the many ways stem cells have improved the lives of patients suffering from diseases that could not be cured by traditional therapies, believes that one day stem cells will be used for more than symptom management and actually be a cure for Alzheimer’s. Contact StemGenex today for further information about how stem cells have been successful in combating neurological diseases.