Neurology Chief Reports Progress
At the 4th Evening of Hope, 14 May 2008, Dr. David M. Holtzman reported on some of the progress Hope Center researchers have made toward finding cures that will “improve the lives of people living with neurological disorders.” Dr. Holtzman's reserch team has significantly advanced our understanding of the biology of Alzheimer's disease. (More) Here are excerpts from his comments.
In meeting with Chris Hobler several times prior to the collaboration between Hope Happens and the Hope Center began, it was very clear that Chris thought the way that research on neurological disorders was carried out needed to change. He spoke of collaboration, sharing results, defining discreet milestones, and having accountability not unlike what occurs in the business world with companies and their shareholders. Since this is now three years since the opening of the Hope Center, I’d like to provide a snapshot or report card of some of the highlights of the major accomplishments of the Hope Center to everyone here and especially to Chris.
People Key
People are everything in an organization, so what people are involved in the Center? Under the leadership of scientific director Dr. Mark Goldberg, deputy director Dr. Anneliese Schaefer, and the Hope Center Steering Committee, we now have 65 Hope Center faculty and over 400 scientist members of the Hope Center who come from 17 different departments involved in our seminars, using the Core facilities, and involved in research projects of the Center.
Results
What have these people done? Well, in terms of direct translation of their findings into people, ideas need to be patented and technology transferred into companies for new diagnostic methods and treatments to be commercialized and used. I’m aware of at least two patents that have come from Hope Center labs that have been licensed to companies. One involves a new treatment for preventing nerve cell degeneration, another a method to determine if new treatments for neurodegeneration are working in humans over a very short time. In addition, a new recruit to the Hope Center, Dr. Timothy M. Miller, MD, PhD, will be starting a novel clinical trial in patients with certain inherited forms of ALS towards the end of 2008.
In terms of new discoveries offering Hope for the future, a new gene that causes ALS was discovered by Hope Center scientists and published in February of this year, new diagnostic methods for Alzheimer’s disease that detect the disease before symptoms start were found, and a new treatment for certain kinds of epilepsy was just reported on. These are just a sampling of what is going on.
Return on Investment
Has the investment by Hope Happens in the Hope Center led to greater return on the investment? That is clearly a resounding, “Yes.” I will highlight two accomplishments in particular. The Hope Center spearheaded a proposal to grow and improve translational neuroscience efforts at Washington University. This led to a successful NIH grant application awarded to only four centers nationwide. Our application was the only application funded to a single site and is providing $12 million over five years. In addition to the NIH, Washington University has provided a significant amount of both financial and other resources to the Hope Center. For example, in the new BJC Institute of Health building being built in the center of the medical school campus, there will be five new interdisciplinary research centers. A component of the Hope Center focusing on a scientific problem called “protein misfolding” will be located in 15,000 square feet of brand new lab space in this new building.
Progress toward cures
There is no question that there are many, many more discoveries to be made to help us to better understand diseases involving neurodegeneration that will be critical in enabling developments of new treatments and cures. To date, I don’t know what kind of “grade” Chris Hobler would give us toward accomplishing the Hope Center mission. What I can say is that we are making progress, we have some of the most talented scientists in the world working together, and that everyone at the Hope Center is incredibly committed and will continue to put all their efforts toward fulfilling the Hope Center mission.
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