Scientific Studies
 Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research
The Fisher Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Resources Program
Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard, center, and his team of internationally renowned scientists at the
Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research laboratory
Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research
The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Center at The Rockefeller University, is a world renowned research team all working under the direction of Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Greengard.
Our scientists are at the forefront of research and, based on their understanding of how the disease ravages the brain, have developed many insights into how the devastating symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease might be prevented or delayed.
We have selected recent samples of scientific studies from major publications such as Nature, Science and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Our lab publishes a multitude of findings per year in our quest to find the cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Listed below you will find a synopsis of each of the studies provided, click on the link in blue, and you have the option to view a full description and to download the original version if you so desire.
Have a question about a certain type of research into Alzheimer’s disease and want to find one of our studies?* Contact Betsey Odell at betsey@alzinfo.org
• TRAP:
Understanding how the brain works is complicated by the fact that there are so many different kinds of brain cells, doing different things, which are crowded into the same regions of the brain. Previously, the only way to approach this was to look at individual cells, but that is a Herculean task. So, the scientists at our lab recently developed a new tool called TRAP (translating ribosome affinity purification) that allows them to see the nature of many cells at once, even when they lie in regions of the brain that contain a veritable jungle of different cell types. Using TRAP, they are now able to analyze the subtle differences between cells that they couldn’t detect before to see which cells are more resistant to beta-amyloid plaque, and learn what is responsible for this resistance.
• Tau:
The neurofibrillary tangles characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease are composed of the protein called “tau.” In this study, Fisher scientists found a new way to inhibit production of neurofibrillary tangles. The quantity of tangles in the Alzheimer’s brain is closely correlated with the degree of cognitive decline, suggesting that tangles or the changes known to occur in the tau protein that precede tangles may contribute to cognitive loss in Alzheimer’s.
• Casein Kinase 1:
Casein Kinase 1 is a therapeutic target which may be the key to halting the course of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings show that chemicals that block casein kinase 1 do not interfere with an essential pathway that is often blocked by other experimental anti-amyloid compounds.
• WAVE 1:
WAVE 1 is a protein and a key regulator of connections between brain cells. It controls the formation of new cell connections which influence thinking and behavior. This knowledge will one day allow doctors to administer drugs that may either prevent the loss of brain cell connections in Alzheimer’s or stimulate the growth of new connections to restore memory and lost function.
• P11:
The P11 study is a blueprint for a new way to treat depression and agitation. In Alzheimer’s patients, depression is a major problem that often results in agitation. Depression in normal people is also a risk factor making it more likely that a person will eventually develop Alzheimer’s. P11 is a protein found in the brain of humans and other mammals. Our study found that p11 controls the brain’s responses to the neurotransmitter serotonin, and can cure depression-like state in mice. This discovery has been hailed the most important event in depression research in the last 25 years because it is expected to provide a new way to treat depression.
The Fisher Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Resources Program
The Fisher Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Resources Program at the New York University Langone Medical Center headed by Dr. Barry Reisberg, M.D.
Dr. Reisberg’s research over the past quarter century has significantly advanced the current understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. He was the first to describe many of the most important symptoms of Alzheimer's and the characteristic clinical course of the disease with the Global Deterioration Scale and the “Clinical Stages of Alzheimer’s.” His work in this area culminated in the publishing of, Towards a Science of Disease Management in which he describes the theory of retrogenesis for understanding the progression of Alzheimer’s. He was the first to define mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and has published many studies on this subject. His work has been instrumental in the evaluation of new pharmacological treatments to help determine FDA approval.
Dr. Reisberg was awarded a Life Time Achievement Award by the International Alzheimer’s Association for his work in the field of Alzheimer’s care. He has published almost 200 major findings in publications such as American Journal of Psychiatry and New England Journal of Medicine as examples.
Recent Finding:
“Outcome Over Seven Years of Healthy Adults With and Without Subjective Cognitive Impairment” by Dr. Barry Reisberg. This January 2011 finding, and data collection that spanned over two decades, reveals that healthy older adults with subjective memory loss are 4.5 times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
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