“I believe there is a solution.”
Those are billionaire mogul Bill Gates’s words regarding the future of Alzheimer’s.
“Any type of treatment would be a huge advance from where we are today,” he said, but “the long-term goal has got to be cure.”
And he’s putting his money where his mouth is.
Gates is investing $50 million into the Dementia Discovery Fund, a private-public research partnership focused on what drives dementia. Gates’s own foundation has raised money and research for diseases such as HIV, malaria, and polio.
This move provides extra hope because of the novel forms of research and ideas the DDF will engage in.
Most of the focus in Alzheimer’s research has been on tau and amyloid, or what Gates likes to call “the mainstream.” With his donation, Gates hopes to spur research into less developed – but more innovative – ideas, like investigating the role of the glial cells that activate the immune system of the brain or how the energy lifespan of a cell may contribute to the disease.
Gates is hopeful that these new approaches will finally crack the code in Alzheimer’s treatment and a cure!
And any progress on treatment and cures for degenerative diseases is good for the rare disease community!
The research that can cure Alzheimer’s might hold clues or keys for other neurological diseases or build a momentum that could prompt other organizations to fund research initiatives for rare diseases.
