Guest Michael Greicius is an authority on Alzheimer’s disease. He makes the case that while effective treatments have remained elusive, there are high hopes for new approaches that target tau proteins in the brain associated with the disease. In the meantime, to reduce Alzheimer’s risk stay active, eat well, and manage circulatory risks, but skip genetic testing for now until better treatments emerge, Greicius tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.
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Chapters:
(00:00:00) Introduction
Russ Altman introduces guest Michael Greicius, a professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University.
(00:02:12) Understanding Alzheimer's Disease
The roles of amyloid and tau proteins in Alzheimer's disease.
(00:04:53) Challenges in Developing Treatments
The multiple hurdles in creating Alzheimer's therapies.
(00:09:07) Current Alzheimer's Drugs
The controversies and limitations of recently approved drugs.
(00:10:23) Amyloid Plaques and Their Impact
Why removing amyloid plaques hasn’t improved patient outcomes.
(00:14:29) Problems with Alzheimer's Trials
The disconnect between amyloid removal and patient outcomes.
(00:18:03) Functional Unblinding and Trial Bias
How functional unblinding affects trial results and drug evaluations.
(00:23:51) The Potential of Targeting Tau
New breakthroughs in targeting tau protein for Alzheimer’s.
(00:26:35) The Future of Prevention
Potential preemptive treatments for Alzheimer's and their administration.
(00:29:19) Lifestyle and Risk Reduction
Recommendations for reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
(00:31:43) Conclusion
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