Editorial

A message of hope, and a local inspiration

Posted 11/5/15

Scores of local residents had a unique opportunity last week to hear from one of the world’s most celebrated medical researchers – and one of Ocean State’s most accomplished native sons.

Dr. …

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Editorial

A message of hope, and a local inspiration

Posted

Scores of local residents had a unique opportunity last week to hear from one of the world’s most celebrated medical researchers – and one of Ocean State’s most accomplished native sons.

Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, who this year was honored as one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World,” returned to his hometown and alma mater, Cranston High School East, for a program held through the Cranston Senior Enrichment Center. His talk, “Ending Alzheimer’s Disease by 2025,” covered a wide range of topics – the history of the disease, its symptoms and effects, tips for keeping one’s brain healthy – and conveyed a message of hope.

“What we’re really going to try to do is stop this disease from ever striking anyone again,” he told those present. “By 2025, that’s our goal.”

Based on what was shared during the presentation, that seems well within reach.

Tanzi’s “100 Most Influential” accolades came as a result of an experiment he and colleagues, including Doo Yeon Kim, conducted to essentially replicate the human brain in a petri dish. They successfully did so, and were then able to recreate the pathology that produces Alzheimer’s – the emergence of hard lumps known as plaques and, subsequently, spaghetti-like coils called tangles, which choke brain cells and cut off their ability to communicate.

“Alzheimer’s in a dish,” as it became known, brought decades of debate over the cause of the disease to a close. It has enabled rapid, cheap testing of drugs, spurred renewed interest from the pharmaceutical industry, and even pointed to a time in the not-so-distant future when new cases of Alzheimer’s might perhaps be eliminated altogether through early screening and treatment.

There is, undoubtedly, still a long way to go, and some mysteries remain – including why women make up two-third of Alzheimer’s cases. Tanzi also stressed that exercise, a healthy diet, social activity, sleep, stress reduction, and lifelong learning are critical components in maintaining a healthy brain.

Yet it’s also clear that striking a major, and potentially decisive, blow against Alzheimer’s – a terrible, cruel disease that, as Tanzi said, slowly takes away one’s very identity – is more likely than ever. That is beyond remarkable, given the millions of lives that would be positively impacted.

To hear from such a pioneering researcher in such a familiar setting was truly a pleasure. We hope all Cranstonians and Rhode Islanders look to Tanzi as a source of pride, and as an inspiration – particularly our children, who may see his example and want to pursue careers in science, medicine, and technology.

His achievements provide a reminder that those of us from the smallest state can accomplish some very big things.

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