Journal of Alzheimer's Disease to publish ISOA Catalyst Conference

28 October 2004

In conjunction with the Institute for the Study of Aging (ISOA), IOS Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of the Proceedings of an ISOA Catalyst Conference as a special print and online Supplement to the December 2004 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (JAD).

"JAD and IOS Press are honored to be working with ISOA, one of the preeminent private foundations in Alzheimer's disease research, on this timely issue," says George Perry, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of JAD.

Designed to help further the advancement of drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases, the conference – New Directions in Neuroprotection: Basic Mechanisms, Molecular Targets and Treatment Strategies – was held 3-4 June 2004 in New York. This gathering of leading researchers in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and other neurodegenerative disorders was highlighted by 15 contributions addressing potential therapies and treatments for these devastating illnesses.

Writing in the lead article, Lorenzo M. Refolo, Ph.D., scientific director of ISOA, and Howard M. Fillit, M.D., executive director of ISOA, state, "The development of therapies for the neurodegenerative disease represents a major challenge to academic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical scientists. Current therapies for the neurodegenerative diseases provide effective symptomatic relief, particularly in early stages of disease. However, there are too few, if any therapies that affect the underlying disease processes. Therefore, disease-modifying therapies that halt, slow or reverse disease progression are sorely needed. It is expected that, next generation of neuroprotective therapies will stop and/or slow neuronal cell death and will therefore be disease modifying. This timely catalyst conference was sponsored by Forest Laboratories. We are pleased to be working with IOS Press in publishing this important work."

Full Release - http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-10/cwru-joa102804.php