Studies on Alzheimer's Disease

Dr. Domenico Praticò received his M.D. from the University of Rome “La Sapienza,” School of Medicine where he completed a residency program in Internal Medicine. After receiving a European Research Award fellowship, he spent two years of post-doctoral training at the University of Dublin as a fellow in the Center for Cardiovascular Science. Next, he joined the University of Pennsylvania as Research Associate, where later he was promoted to Assistant Professor. He is currently Professor of Pharmacology, Microbiology and Immunology and member of the Center for Translational Medicine at Temple University. His main research interest is oxidative biology with a particular focus on bioactive lipids, their metabolic pathways, and their role as biological mediators of cellular and molecular events in the pathogenesis of human diseases, including neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Pratico has published more than 195 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has received many awards for his research accomplishments including the Irvine H. Page Award, Neurosciences Education and Research Award, The Zenith Award from the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Dorothy Dillon Eweson Lectureship. Dr. Patrizia Mecocci received her MD from the University of Perugia, School of Medicine where she completed a residency program in Geriatrics. She also earned a PhD in Biology and Physiopathology of Aging at the University of Modena (Italy). After receiving a grant from the Italian National Research Council (CNR),  she spent three years as research fellow first  at the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry at the University of Lund (Sweden) and then at the Department of Neurology, MGH-Harvard Medical School in Boston. She then started the academic career at the University of Perugia where she is now Full Professor in Gerontology and Geriatrics and Director of the Geriatric Clinic.  Dr. Mecocci’s research is mainly devoted to clinicalgeriatrics, with a specific interest on brain aging and dementia and on age-related biological modifications,  with a particular focus on the role of oxidants and antioxidants in neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.  She has been PI or co-investigator in research projects funded by the European Commission and by the Italian Ministry of Research. She is author of more than 180 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and 30 books and book chapters.

Section 1: Hypotheses.- Oxidative stress: impact in neuroscience research.- Oxidative stress and Alzheimer’s disease.- Inflammation and Oxidation: a link in Alzheimer’ disease pathogenesis.- GAPDH:β-amyloid mediated iron accumulation in Alzheimer’s disease.- Aβ in mitochondria: one piece in the Alzheimer’s disease puzzle.- The role of the plasma membrane redox system in the pathognesis of Alzheimer’s disease.- Section 2: Mechanisms.- Metal dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.- Brain Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis and Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.- Cholesterol metabolism and oxidative stress in Alzheimer’s disease.- Brain hypometabolism, oxidative stress, maternal transmission and risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.- Stress and HPA axis dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease.- Section 3: Clinics.- Diabetes mellitus and its impact on sporadic Alzheimer’s disease.- Peripheral biomarkers of oxidative tress in Alzheimer’s disease.- Nutrition lifestyle and oxidative stress: prevention in Alzheimer’s disease.- Are antioxidants food and nutrients useful in preventing cognitive decline?.- Antioxidant clinical trials in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.