An Alzheimer ’ s patient undergoes focused ultrasound treatment with the WVU RNI team .
approach and increased reduction of amyloid-beta plaques measured by PET scans .
“ After six months of antibody treatment , we observed an average of 32 % more reduction in amyloid-beta plaques — 53 % centiloid — in brain areas with blood-brain barrier opening compared to areas with no such opening ,” says Ali Rezai , M . D ., lead author of the study and executive chair of the RNI . “ Focused ultrasound is a non-invasive outpatient procedure for BBB opening with great promise for improving drug delivery to the brain . The next phase of the clinical trial will begin this year to explore how to further accelerate amyloidbeta removal in a shorter time with focused ultrasound in combination with lecanemab antibody .”
“ This is an exciting time in the treatment of Alzheimer ’ s disease ,” says Marc Haut , Ph . D ., director of the RNI Memory Health Clinic . “ We are hopeful the work we are doing may lead to improvements in outcome for many other patients and their families coping with Alzheimer ’ s .”
Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health Continues to Invest in Health Programs
Officials from the Highmark West Virginia Charitable Fund for Health recently announced its fourth quarter grant funding to nonprofit organizations throughout the Mountain State . These grants help fund programs and initiatives that effectively address oral , community and family health initiatives to benefit West Virginia individuals , families and communities .
The grants approved in the fund ’ s final meeting of 2023 total nearly half a million dollars and were awarded to nine organizations , including :
• Capital City Give Kids a Smile : Capital City Give Kids A Smile Day 2024
• Children ’ s Home Society of West Virginia : Children ’ s Home Society Parkersburg Program Needs
• Golden Girl Group Home : Family Kitchen and Food Pantry Program
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation : Breaking Barriers in the Mountain State Program
• Mountaineer Food Bank : Veterans Table Feeding Program
• University Physicians and Surgeons : Caring for Smiles of Those Who Served Dental Event
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