Page 6 - The Del Monte Neuromedicine Institute | The Meliora Challenge

Areas of Primary Focus for the Del Monte Neuromedicine Institute We have begun by identifying champions of our fagship programs in stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, brain and spinal cord injury, and brain and spinal tumors. Each of these programs within the Institute is charged with introducing new therapies for these diseases within the next decade and improving outcomes and cost of care of treatment of these diseases. Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease is quickly becoming our nation’s most devastating disease, taking the lives of more and more people each year. In 2050, Alzheimer’s disease is projected to be the leading cause of death, eclipsing cancer and heart disease. Rochester scientists are unlocking the mysteries of the disease to reveal new and effective treatments. Brain and Spinal Cord Injury University of Rochester Medical Center scientists’ discovery of causes of delayed paralysis after spinal cord injury made national headlines and may lead to treatments which reduce damage and disability; possible stem cell therapies for spinal cord injuries are under investigation; and scientists are studying the effects of mild and severe concussion upon cognitive brain functions in affected patients. Brain and Spinal Tumors Scientifc investigations of the contributions of stem cell and abnormal blood vessels to the growth of deadly brain tumors promise new treatment approaches; and clinical scientists now provide clinical trials of the latest available treatments. Movement Disorders University of Rochester Medical Center neurologists pioneered large, multi-site clinical trials to evaluate new medications and other treatments for conditions like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. These studies bring hundreds of doctors and patients together from around the world and are key to knowing whether or not a medication is effective. The frst treatment for Huntington’s disease is now FDA-approved and being prescribed. Multiple Sclerosis and other Neurodegenerative Diseases University of Rochester neuroscientists led a trial of a medication that improves the ambulation of multiple sclerosis patients. The drug is FDA-approved and now widely used in MS. Medical Center stem cell scientists are world leaders in developing cell transplant strategies for treating MS and other neurological disorders. These treatments may be available for human application within the decade. Researchers are also developing new and unexpected ways to think about Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and its prevention, including sealing up leaky blood vessels to protect neurons targeted from damage. Neuromuscular Disorders For more than 20 years, University of Rochester Medical Center has been a center for the research and treatment of muscular dystrophy. Physicians have improved and extended the lives of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and are currently funded by the National Institutes of Health to fnd the optimum regimen for boys with the disease. In patients with the most common type of muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, scientists discovered a previously unknown way that the disease can happen. The team is now searching for a way to overcome the defect and cure patients. Stroke University of Rochester Medical Center scientists recently discovered a new drug which has promise as a stroke treatment and is now being tested in clinical trials, and researchers have pinpointed astrocytes as a possible therapeutic target in devastating strokes. URMC neuromedicine physicians provide evaluation and care for stroke patients at all Rochester hospitals with state-of-the-art interventions. In addition, URMC clinicians are working to improve stroke care across the community by standardizing the processes of care and measuring patient outcomes.