COLUMBUS – The National Institute on Aging has awarded funding to build an interdisciplinary resource network for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias.

“The resource network will address some of the biggest problems in Alzheimer’s disease research, such as the identity of molecules associated with neurodegeneration,” Dr. Carol R. Bradford, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine, said in a press release. “Collaboration across disciplines helps scientists consider problems from new perspectives, especially those that have resisted traditional approaches like Alzheimer’s disease.”

The award is expected to total $7.8 million over five years and will spur a collaboration between OSU’s Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine with scientists at the University of Washington, the University of Texas Medical Branch and the University of California, Los Angeles.

“By establishing the gold standard for their analysis and detection, and then distributing well-vetted samples to research laboratories across the country, we hope to catalyze advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of this devastating disease,” said principal investigator Jeff Kuret, professor in the department of biological chemistry and pharmacology in the Ohio State College of Medicine.

Other OSU professors involved in the study include Vicki Wysocki from the department of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences and Lianbo Yu from the department of medical informatics in the College of Medicine.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's dementia today. This number could grow to 13.8 million by 2060, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or cure the disease. Unchecked by advancements in therapy, the impact of dementia is projected to exceed $1 trillion per year by 2050, according to a recent report from the Alzheimer’s Association.