Douglas Ethell
Fighting Alzheimer's with Stem Cells
More than five million people in the U.S. are affected by Alzheimer's disease, a number estimated to grow to 13 million by 2050. With no effective treatments or cures to date, it is a disease garnering intense research interest.
UCR's Douglas Ethell is on the leading edge of these research efforts, attacking Alzheimer’s disease with the most sophisticated yet most basic of today's research tools: stem cells. The assistant professor of biomedical sciences is using a $2.1 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) — the state's multi-billion dollar stem cell research initiative — to develop a method for stimulating protective immune responses in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disorders, which together affect more than six million people in the U.S. alone.
"Stem cell technology is the future of medicine, and CIRM is ensuring that California continues to play a leading role in developing this important technology," Ethell says. His is the fourth proposal to be funded by CIRM. The UCR Stem Cell Center, directed by professor of cell biology Prudence Talbot, has a multidisciplinary faculty of over 30 members from all over campus, harnessing the potential of stem cell to improve human health.
Other research in the UCR Stem Cell Center seeks to contribute to the treatment of bone injuries and deformities; find new ways to detect pathogenic viruses and bacteria; improve recovery after traumatic brain injury; apply stem cells to wound care and regeneration; and deploy stem cells to aid stroke patients.
