In an effort to better understand the development of Alzheimer’s disease,
Florida Hospital Neuroscience Institute and VTT Technical Research Centre of
Finland are collaborating to identify the biomarker assay that may predict
early onsets of the disease.
Scientists from VTT and the University of Eastern Finland recently teamed up
to discover a serum biochemical signature which predicts progression to
Alzheimer’s disease. From this, VTT was able to develop a biomarker assay.
Florida Hospital and VTT have since come together to evaluate screening,
diagnostic and prognostic potential of the biomarker essay.
“Our commitment as a hospital to researching how Alzheimer’s disease begins is
extremely important for early detection studies and eventually finding a cure
for the disease,” said Debbie Spielman, AVP Florida Hospital Neuroscience
Institute. “Early disease detection can assist in discovering which
pharmacological treatment or lifestyle changes would be most beneficial for
the patient approaching the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are
living with the disease. There are an increasing number of new cases diagnosed
annually with increasing aging populations. Florida Hospital and VTT’s study
will utilize the biomarker assay to harness research on Alzheimer’s disease
and specifically target which types of precautions to take when approaching
early stages of the disease.
Florida Hospital
With eight hospitals and 21 urgent care locations, Florida Hospital is one of
the largest not-for-profit hospitals in the country, caring for more than a
million patient visits per year – that’s more than any other hospital in the
country, according to the American Hospital Association. The more than
2,000-bed system, has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of
the best hospitals in the country.
Florida Hospital provides a wide range of health services, including many
nationally and internationally recognized programs in cardiology, cancer,
women’s medicine, neurosciences, diabetes, orthopedics, pediatrics and
advanced surgical programs. Florida Hospital is a designated statutory
teaching hospital and also trains physicians from all around the world on the
newest technologies. With advanced research and industry partnerships, Florida
Hospital seeks to extend and improve the quality of lives through the
translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to the diagnosis and
treatment of human disease. For more information, please visit www.floridahospital.com.
