The causative factors and the mechanism behind the onset of Late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) remain unknown, but there is hope that gaining insight into the biological pathways and molecular basis underlying the causes of LOAD will lead to the development of disease-modifying and/or preventative treatments.

Since 2019, this team has been working to develop an ethical disease modifying therapy (DMT) for LOAD using gene therapy. At the same time, the team has been examining the legal, social and ethical questions surrounding novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

In 2022, team members tested methods to identify high-risk genetic variants and discern their mechanisms, including developing techniques to repress the expressions of the APOE E4 gene, which is widely associated with LOAD. The team also interviewed clinicians to explore their thoughts regarding future treatments for Alzheimer's Disease and identify factors that cause disparity in diagnosis of the disease and impact treatment decisions.

Treating Alzheimer's with Gene Therapy and the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications

Poster by Suraj Dhulipalla, Mohanapriya Cumaran, Cordelia Hume, Ishika Gupta, Lilly Kelemen, Sahil Malhotra, Suraj Upadhya, Satya Yalamanchi, Nathan Boucher, Ornit Chiba-Falek and Boris Kantor