Beeson Scholars Featured for New Alzheimer's Research BACK

AFAR is proud to support the work of Randall Bateman, MD, and David Holtzman, MD, through the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards in Aging Research Program.

In a December 14^th New York Times feature, Drs. Bateman and Holtzman are highlighted as part of promising new research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The buildup of beta amyloid (Aβ) plaques in the brain has long been associated with AD, but Dr. Bateman wanted to explore the specific mechanics of these amyloids accumulating and clearing. For his 2007 Beeson project, Dr. Bateman compared Aβ metabolism in 30 healthy young adults with that of 30 healthy middle-aged adults. An in vivo labeling process allowed his team, joined by Dr. Holtzman, to tag the Aβ protein as it is made in the brain, while a lumbar catheter (similar to that used for an epidural) sampled the protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid every hour for 36 hours. Dr. Bateman’s results, now published in Science, found that instead of increased production of Aβ, the Alzheimer’s patients in his study were characterized by an impaired ability to clear Aβ from their system. Dr. Holtzman, whose 1995 Beeson project also centered on Alzheimer’s disease, continues his research today by examining brain activity and Aβ, hypothesizing that sleep-deprivation may be connected to developing AD. Both scientists’ research holds important implications for developing prevention and treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease.

In the New York Times article, Dr. Bateman describes how tough it was to find funding to answer this question of Aβ production and clearance, since doubtful grant reviewers turned him down. This story speaks volumes to the kind of funding challenges that top scientists face today, as federal funding supports only about 8% of researchers who apply. As the strain on medical resources grows with the aging of the baby boomers, AFAR continues to support this kind of ground-breaking Alzheimer’s disease research through talented scientists like Drs. Bateman and Holtzman.

For more information about their AFAR-funded research projects, read about Dr. Bateman in the 2009 Beeson Report and Dr. Holtzman's Beeson profile.

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