New research at UBC is allowing a whole new look at a devastating disease that affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Brain cells are being grown in a lab to try and better understand the progression of Alzheimer’s, and hopefully pave the way for new treatments. The number of people living with the neurodegenerative disease, which destroys brain cells and causes cognitive function and memory to deteriorate, is expected to increase as the population ages. Assistant professor in neurology Dr. Haakon Nygaard, who also directs UBC Hospital’s clinic for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, said researchers are taking blood from patients with the disease and using the stem cells to create brain cells in the lab.
