Virtual Symposium Explores Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
June 24, 2021On Tuesday, June 15, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (PCOM) Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA) hosted a free virtual Alzheimer’s symposium titled “Before Amyloid-Beta: Exploring
Pre-Pathology Events in Alzheimer’s.” This four-hour event covered topics such as
infection in the brain, mitochondria, neuroengineering to study brain disease and
more. There were nine speakers at the event including Brian Balin, PhD, chair, Department of Bio-medical Sciences, and director of the CCDA.
“For far too long, the field of Alzheimer’s disease research has focused on the Amyloid
Cascade Hypothesis suggesting that beta-amyloid was the main component underlying
Alzheimer’s disease,” shared Dr. Balin. “This symposium presented evidence demonstrating
that we must consider inciting events resulting in neuronal cellular damage prior
to the aggregation of beta-amyloid as the causative factors in Alzheimer’s disease
pathogenesis; pathogenesis that results in the eventual deposition of amyloid and
other protein aggregates such as tau. In this evaluation, the true etiology of Alzheimer’s
disease lies in the interplay of ‘the environment’ and ‘individual susceptibilities’,”
continued Dr. Balin.
The goal of this symposium was to bring together experts in various fields of Alzheimer’s
research to enhance networking with attendees across their various research specialties.
Attendees also discussed the needs within the community (research, funding, drug development,
etc.) and received an update on the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, a non-profit
medical research organization that is dedicated to advancing scientific breakthroughs
in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias.
The symposium was moderated by Nikki Schultek. Ms. Schultek is the principal and founder
of Intracell Research Group. According to the Intracell Research Group website, when
Ms. Schultek was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune disorders, some of which included
neurodegenerative symptoms, she began studying medical literature and noticed a correlation
between her diagnosis and various chronic infections. Antibiotic treatment led to
a complete remission and inspired her work to connect researchers, clinicians and
stakeholders to advance the research in the field of neurodegeneration.
About Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained
thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral
scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just
symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education,
operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic
medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers
graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical
sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling,
physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance
of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its
community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations.
For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
Contact Us
Brandon Lausch
Executive Director, Strategic Communications
Email: brandonla@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6312 | Cell:
717-371-0609
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