Why is diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease difficult?

In the autumn of 2017, Mr. Bill Gates, famous as the founder of Microsoft, announced its investment in Alzheimer's disease. In 2018, Mr. Gates posted an entry saying "Why diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is difficult, how can I make better diagnosis?" Among them, Mr. Gates has a problem with Alzheimer's disease And I talk about further investment.

Why diagnosing Alzheimer's today is so difficult-and how we can do better | Bill Gates
https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/A-better-way-of-diagnosing-Alzheimers

One of the reasons Gates invested in research on Alzheimer's disease is that her father suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Although Mr. Gates was fainting his father suffering from Alzheimer's disease until the announcement of investment, it was said that the support community gave surprising support from the support community following the publication. Mr. Gates said he predicted to some extent that research on Alzheimer's disease would be difficult before investing, but he did not expect it to "have a wonderful response from the entire Alzheimer's disease community" I am spelling words of gratitude to the community on the blog.

About research on Alzheimer's disease, Mr. Gates said, "Frontier capable of dramatically improving human life" "If we can advance in several important fields, we can change the course of Alzheimer's disease dramatically" I am arranging optimistic words. And Gates said "The biggest thing we can do now is to develop a reliable and affordable diagnostic method," which is more reliable and affordable than existing diagnostic methods It is important to establish a method that can be done by price.

by Finn Hackshaw

Existing diagnostic methods for Alzheimer's disease begin with cognitive testing. Even if the test can not clear well, it will not immediately lead to Alzheimer's diagnosis, but before that, it is necessary to exclude all causes that lead to memory loss, such as stroke and nutritional deficiencies. If it is still judged that there is a problem with cognitive ability, finally spinal puncture or PET examination is done, and it is finally diagnosed whether Alzheimer's disease or not is done here. Although these tests are fairly accurate, the only way to reliably diagnose disease is only postmortem autopsy, "existing diagnostic methods are not an ideal process," Gates said It is.

Regarding the problems that existing processes have, Gates raises "points that are expensive and invasive". The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is also problematic in that most insurance in the United States will be out of application, patients are often urged to pay hundreds of thousands of yen medical costs with pocket money. Yet it is pointed out that spinal puncture is horribly uncomfortable and PET examination must be stopped for 40 minutes and is difficult for Alzheimer's disease patients.

Another problem with the existing diagnostic process is that Mr. Gates points out that "patients are not diagnosed until declining cognitive function." The more deepened the understanding of Alzheimer 's disease, the clearer it became evident that the symptoms of Alzheimer' s disease started earlier than it was known until then. Studies have suggested that symptoms have already begun to damage the brain before symptoms of Alzheimer's disease begin to appear, "This timing should be the timing of the most effective treatment start," Mr. Gates He insists.

by Daniel Hjalmarsson

Gates said that existing diagnostic methods are outdated and that it is better to establish a method to diagnose Alzheimer's disease by simple blood tests and eye examinations before delaying the progress of the disease.

Gates To do this in cooperation with the Alzheimer's therapeutic drugs Research Foundation (ADDF), "for the diagnosis more quickly Alzheimer's disease Diagnostics Accelerator that to start the" (diagnosis acceleration program) announcement has been. This project seeks bold and new ideas for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and better diagnosis, and Gates also reveals that it invests 30 million dollars (about 3.4 billion yen) in three years.

Mr. Gates explains, "Diagnostics Accelerator is a venture charity, different from most funds." Investment from governments and charitable organizations will be wonderful to create new ideas and cutting-edge research, but at the end no one can make a profit so we can not always make a useful product. On the other hand, venture capital is more likely to develop tests reaching patients, but projects that would benefit investors on a financial model basis are preferred. Gates et al. 'S Diagnostics Accelerator is a "venture philanthropic project" featuring both features, and it is possible to create products for actual patients with the ultimate goal, and a more bold and risky approach to research Incentives can also be given.

Mr. Gates says that investment in Diagnostics Accelerator hopes that it will be a bridge between establishing diagnostic methods for Alzheimer's disease that is reliable by academic research and can be done at affordable prices.