? IADC Overall The Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center (IADC) was established in 1991 to bring investigators and institutional resources at the Indiana University School of Medicine together to address the fundamental causes and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. Despite many important gains, the need for targeted research is greater than ever, with an estimated 5.3 million people in the U.S. suffering from AD and related dementias. Unfortunately, we do not yet know how to prevent AD or have an approved disease modifying intervention. Both are critical to stem the growth in dementia prevalence. The overarching goal of the IADC going forward is to support the U.S. National Plan for AD (National Alzheimer's Project Act, NAPA) to prevent and effectively treat AD by 2025 through innovative research on etiology, early detection, and therapeutics. Biomarker studies indicate that processes leading to AD begin at least 20 years prior to dementia, and increasing evidence suggests that successful interventions will have to be implemented early. This presents a great potential opportunity for early intervention, but the field is challenged by critical barriers decreasing the prospects of timely success. The IADC has identified the barriers as: a) gaps in understanding the basic biology of AD leading to over-simplified approaches; b) the need for sensitive, specific, and cost- effective methods for early detection of those at risk or with emerging symptoms; c) the identification of novel therapeutic targets including non-pharmacological lifestyle modification approaches, as well as interventions for caregivers and social support strategies for patients; d) a compelling need to train the next generation of translational researchers who can bridge basic science and clinical trials; and e) the need for new models of care delivery and greater inclusiveness of underrepresented groups. The IADC has four major goals directed toward overcoming these barriers and accelerating the pace of research toward prevention and effective treatment: (1) Support, enhance, and expand innovative research on AD and related dementias targeting causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; (2) Provide critical research resources and infrastructure to support existing studies and enable new innovative research, including pilot studies. Key resources include a well-characterized longitudinal clinical cohort and access to promising new methods including advanced imaging (multimodal MRI, amyloid and tau PET), genetics, biomarkers, and advanced bioinformatics and systems biology. Together these resources will facilitate a better understanding of disease mechanisms, novel discovery, and translation to the clinical healthcare environment; (3) Strongly support local, regional, and national/international dementia research collaborations; and, (4) Provide educational and training opportunities related to dementia for learners of all levels and needs including academic programs for professionals and programs for patients, caregivers and family members, and the community at-large. The IADC is committed to bringing these resources together to support rapid progress in addressing the challenges of AD and dementia.
The Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center (IADC) is a multidisciplinary research program intensely committed to the U.S. National Alzheimer's Project Act (NAPA) to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer disease (AD) by 2025. Major activities include innovative research on causes, early detection, and treatment, including both pharmacological and non-drug approaches, as well as interventions for caregivers and educational programs for researchers and members of the community. The IADC is part of a network of centers and programs working to rapidly find a cure for AD.
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