The Multifaceted War on Alzheimer's

5 Ways UC San Diego Is Transforming Alzheimer’s Research and Care

How UC San Diego Is Pioneering a Systems Approach to Dementia

By the time Alzheimer's disease manifests in memory loss and confusion, the brain has already been under siege for years—perhaps decades. That sobering reality is driving researchers at the University of California San Diego to fundamentally reimagine how we detect, treat, and ultimately conquer this devastating condition.

The stakes could hardly be higher. Alzheimer's disease and related dementias currently afflict more than 50 million people worldwide, a figure projected to triple by 2050 as populations age. In the United States, the 2025 economic burden reaches $384 billion annually in healthcare and long-term care costs, with projections approaching $1 trillion by mid-century. Yet behind these staggering numbers lies a more profound crisis: the progressive erasure of human identity, the crushing burden on family caregivers, and the strain on healthcare systems ill-equipped to meet the coming demographic wave.

What distinguishes UC San Diego's approach is its comprehensiveness. Rather than pursuing isolated breakthroughs in laboratory or clinic, the university has constructed an integrated infrastructure that spans the entire continuum from basic research to clinical translation, from early detection to late-stage care, from therapeutic innovation to workforce development. This systems-level strategy, supported by four decades of continuous National Institutes of Health funding, positions UC San Diego among the nation's premier institutions tackling Alzheimer's disease.

"Alzheimer's is an urgent societal crisis that affects all of us," said James Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. "Our decades of NIH-funded work, coupled with a world-class multidisciplinary clinic and our leadership in translational science, put us in a unique position not just to study this disease, but to change its trajectory for future generations."

The Detection Revolution: Finding Disease Before It Finds You

The traditional paradigm of Alzheimer's diagnosis—cognitive testing administered after symptoms emerge—arrives far too late in the disease process. By the time patients exhibit memory impairment, neurodegeneration has already progressed substantially. UC San Diego researchers are working to collapse this diagnostic timeline through multiple complementary approaches.

Blood-based biomarkers represent perhaps the most transformative avenue. Unlike brain imaging or cerebrospinal fluid analysis, blood tests offer a scalable, inexpensive screening tool potentially suitable for primary care settings. UC San Diego investigators are specifically validating these biomarkers in Hispanic and Latino populations, addressing a critical gap in research equity while potentially bringing early detection to historically underserved communities.

The university's engineers have developed a handheld electronic biosensor capable of detecting markers for both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases from blood samples. This portable technology could democratize access to sophisticated diagnostics, enabling screening in rural clinics, community health centers, and other settings far removed from major medical centers.

Advanced neuroimaging techniques complete the detection arsenal. These methods can reveal subtle structural and functional brain changes years before clinical symptoms manifest, potentially identifying therapeutic windows when interventions might prove most effective.

Therapeutic Frontiers: Multiple Routes to the Same Destination

UC San Diego's therapeutic research portfolio reflects the field's growing recognition that Alzheimer's disease likely requires multiple treatment modalities rather than a single magic bullet.

Gene therapy approaches aim to reprogram diseased brain cells, preserving cognitive function even as pathological processes advance. Other research teams are developing drugs targeting the toxic protein aggregates—amyloid plaques and tau tangles—that characterize Alzheimer's neuropathology. These disease-modifying approaches represent a significant advance over symptomatic treatments that dominated the field for decades.

In parallel, researchers are investigating drug repurposing—testing whether medications already approved for other conditions might prove effective against Alzheimer's. This strategy offers a potential fast track to clinical trials, since these compounds have already cleared safety hurdles. Artificial intelligence platforms are accelerating this work, identifying unexpected connections between existing drugs and Alzheimer's pathways while also revealing previously unknown therapeutic targets.

Beyond pharmaceuticals, UC San Diego's TREAD trial exemplifies growing interest in lifestyle interventions. This clinical study is examining whether intermittent fasting can reduce sleep disturbances, cognitive decline, and brain pathology in individuals with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's disease. The premise rests on emerging evidence that metabolic factors influence neurodegeneration, suggesting that dietary modifications might complement drug therapies.

The Long Game: Four Decades of Longitudinal Insight

Alzheimer's disease unfolds across years and decades, making long-term observation essential for understanding disease progression and identifying intervention points. UC San Diego's Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center—one of just 36 nationally funded by the National Institute on Aging—has maintained continuous NIH support for 40 years, enabling researchers to follow patient cohorts through extended timeframes that few institutions can match.

This longitudinal infrastructure has enabled landmark studies. The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, established at UC San Diego in 1991 through partnership with the National Institute on Aging, has become the nation's premier consortium for evaluating potential new drugs in Alzheimer's patients. The collaborative network now spans multiple institutions but remains headquartered at UC San Diego.

More recently, the Women Inflammation and Tau study, launched in 2020, addresses a crucial epidemiological puzzle: nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's are women. Using brain imaging, cognitive assessments, biological fluid analysis, and wearable sensor technologies, researchers are systematically investigating the gender-specific factors—hormonal, inflammatory, and otherwise—that influence disease susceptibility and progression. Such work exemplifies how long-term research infrastructure enables investigators to tackle complex questions requiring multiyear observation and multimodal data collection.

Integrated Care: Bridging the Research-Practice Divide

Scientific advances matter little if they remain trapped in academic journals. UC San Diego has constructed a care delivery model designed to rapidly translate research discoveries into clinical practice while simultaneously feeding clinical observations back into research pipelines.

The Center for Brain Health and Memory Disorders at UC San Diego Health's East Campus Office Building co-locates five dementia fellowship-trained neurologists with specialized neuropsychologists, geriatric medicine specialists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers. This integrated team serves approximately 3,500 patients, reducing the fragmentation and coordination barriers that typically complicate dementia care.

Approximately 100 patients at the center receive monoclonal antibody infusions—disease-modifying therapies including lecanemab (Leqembi) and aducanumab (Aduhelm) that represent the first FDA-approved drugs demonstrating the ability to slow Alzheimer's progression rather than merely managing symptoms. These therapies remain controversial given their modest effects and significant costs, but they represent proof of concept that disease modification is possible.

By sharing physical space with the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the clinic provides patients with streamlined access to clinical trials and emerging therapies. This integration creates a virtuous cycle: laboratory discoveries quickly inform patient care, while clinical observations generate new research questions and hypotheses.

The center also addresses the profound emotional and social toll of Alzheimer's through structured support groups for patients and caregivers. These gatherings, frequently described by participants as "life-saving," provide practical guidance, emotional support, and community connection—reminders that comprehensive dementia care extends far beyond pharmacology.

Building Capacity: Training the Next Generation

Even the most sophisticated research infrastructure proves insufficient without a healthcare workforce trained to implement discoveries. Through the federally funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, UC San Diego is training health professionals, caregivers, and community advocates—particularly in rural, tribal, and underserved regions—to recognize, diagnose, and manage Alzheimer's and related dementias.

The university's Stein Institute for Research on Aging extends this educational mission, providing training opportunities for medical students, early-career faculty, and postdoctoral scholars specializing in aging and age-related diseases. These programs ensure that knowledge generated at UC San Diego propagates outward, benefiting communities across the region and nation.

The Path Forward

Alzheimer's disease remains among medicine's most formidable challenges. No cure exists, and even the most advanced therapies provide only modest benefits. Yet UC San Diego's comprehensive approach—spanning detection, therapeutics, longitudinal research, clinical care, and workforce development—offers a template for how major research universities can marshal resources to attack complex diseases from multiple angles simultaneously.

"While the disease can seem insurmountable, there's also so much opportunity in this field," Brewer noted. His optimism reflects not wishful thinking but rather the accumulated evidence that sustained investment, institutional commitment, and collaborative research networks can generate meaningful progress even against biology's most stubborn adversaries.

The coming decades will reveal whether science can outpace the rising tide of Alzheimer's cases as populations age. What seems certain is that progress will require precisely the kind of multifaceted, long-term, translational approach that UC San Diego has spent four decades constructing. For the millions of families touched by this disease, that systematic commitment offers something increasingly rare in modern medicine: genuine grounds for hope.

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Sources

1. UC San Diego Today. (2025, December 2). "5 Ways UC San Diego Is Transforming Alzheimer's Research and Care." https://today.ucsd.edu/story/5-ways-uc-san-diego-is-transforming-alzheimers-research-and-care

2. Alzheimer's Association. (2025). "2025 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures." Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(3). https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures

3. National Institute on Aging. (2025). "Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers." National Institutes of Health. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-research-centers

4. UC San Diego Health. (2025). "Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center." https://medschool.ucsd.edu/research/adrc/

5. Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study. (2025). "About ADCS." UC San Diego. https://www.adcs.org/about-us/

6. UC San Diego Health. (2025). "Center for Brain Health and Memory Disorders." https://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/neuro/specialty-programs/memory-disorders/

7. National Institute on Aging. (2024). "Lecanemab (Leqembi) Approved for Treatment of Early Alzheimer's Disease." https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/lecanemab-leqembi-approved-treatment-early-alzheimers-disease

8. Health Resources and Services Administration. (2025). "Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/find-funding/HRSA-25-124

9. UC San Diego Stein Institute for Research on Aging. (2025). "Training Programs." https://stein.ucsd.edu/training/

10. World Health Organization. (2024). "Dementia." https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia

 

UC San Diego Emerges as National Leader in Alzheimer's Research and Care

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: The University of California San Diego has positioned itself as one of the nation's premier institutions for Alzheimer's research and treatment through a comprehensive approach spanning early detection technologies, breakthrough therapeutics, long-term clinical studies, integrated patient care, and workforce development—addressing a disease that affects over 50 million people worldwide and costs the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $384 billion annually.

A Growing Crisis Demands Bold Solutions

Alzheimer's disease stands as the most common form of dementia, robbing millions of their memories and independence. The numbers paint a sobering picture: more than 50 million people worldwide currently live with Alzheimer's and related dementias, a figure projected to triple by 2050. In the United States alone, the economic burden reaches $384 billion in 2025, with projections suggesting costs could surge to $1 trillion by mid-century.

But beyond the statistics lie countless families watching loved ones fade, caregivers shouldering immense emotional and financial burdens, and a healthcare system straining under mounting pressure. It's a crisis that demands urgent, innovative responses—and UC San Diego is answering that call on multiple fronts.

Detecting Disease Before Symptoms Appear

One of the most promising frontiers in Alzheimer's care lies in early detection. UC San Diego researchers are developing blood-based biomarkers specifically validated for Hispanic and Latino populations, who have historically been underrepresented in medical research. These simple blood tests could revolutionize screening in underserved communities, catching the disease years before symptoms emerge.

The university's scientists have also created a handheld electronic biosensor capable of detecting markers for both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases from blood samples. This portable technology could bring sophisticated diagnostic capabilities to primary care offices and community health centers, dramatically expanding access to early screening.

Advanced brain imaging techniques round out UC San Diego's detection arsenal, revealing subtle structural changes that signal Alzheimer's in its earliest stages—when interventions may be most effective.

From Lab Bench to Bedside: New Treatment Approaches

UC San Diego researchers are pursuing multiple therapeutic pathways simultaneously. Gene therapy approaches aim to reprogram diseased brain cells, preserving their function even as pathology advances. Other teams are developing drugs that remove toxic proteins like amyloid and tau from the brain—the hallmark features of Alzheimer's disease.

In a pragmatic twist, scientists are also investigating whether existing FDA-approved drugs for other conditions might work against Alzheimer's. This drug repurposing strategy could accelerate the path to clinical trials since these medications have already cleared safety hurdles.

Artificial intelligence is opening new doors as well, helping researchers identify previously unknown treatment targets and potentially enabling more personalized approaches to therapy.

Beyond pharmaceuticals, UC San Diego's TREAD trial is exploring whether intermittent fasting can reduce sleep disturbances, cognitive decline, and brain pathology in people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer's. This research reflects growing recognition that lifestyle modifications may complement drug treatments in meaningful ways.

The Long View: Four Decades of Continuous Research

Alzheimer's disease unfolds over years and decades, making long-term observation essential. UC San Diego's Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center—one of just 36 nationally funded by the National Institute on Aging—has maintained continuous NIH funding for 40 years, enabling researchers to follow patient cohorts across extended timeframes.

"Alzheimer's is an urgent societal crisis that affects all of us, and at UC San Diego, we confront it with innovative science, compassionate care and a tenacious drive toward impactful solutions," said Dr. James Brewer, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosciences and director of the research center.

The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, established at UC San Diego in 1991 through partnership with the National Institute on Aging, evaluates potential new drugs for Alzheimer's patients. More recently, the Women Inflammation and Tau study launched in 2020 to investigate why women—who represent nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer's—face higher disease risk than men. Using brain imaging, cognitive testing, biological fluid analysis, and wearable technologies, researchers are piecing together the gender-specific factors that influence disease development.

A New Model for Patient Care

At UC San Diego Health's East Campus Office Building, the Center for Brain Health and Memory Disorders offers what staff describe as a "one-stop" experience for patients with age-related cognitive impairment. The integrated model co-locates five dementia fellowship-trained neurologists with specialized neuropsychologists, a geriatrician, a geriatric psychiatrist, nurses, a nurse practitioner, medical assistants, and a dedicated social worker.

This coordination reduces barriers that often complicate dementia care—long travel distances, fragmented services, and confusion about navigating multiple specialists. Currently serving approximately 3,500 patients, the clinic also provides cutting-edge treatments including monoclonal antibody infusions. About 100 patients receive these disease-modifying therapies, which represent the first FDA-approved drugs that actually slow Alzheimer's progression rather than just managing symptoms. These include Lecanemab (marketed as Leqembi) and Aducanumab (Aduhelm).

By sharing space with the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the clinic gives patients ready access to clinical trials and emerging therapies. This integration of research and clinical care creates a virtuous cycle where laboratory discoveries quickly inform patient treatment, and clinical observations feed back into research questions.

The center also addresses the often-overlooked emotional toll of Alzheimer's through robust support groups for both patients and caregivers. Participants frequently describe these gatherings as "life-saving," providing connection, practical advice, and emotional sustenance during the disease's difficult journey.

Training Tomorrow's Dementia Workforce

Even the most sophisticated research means little if communities lack healthcare professionals trained to implement it. Through the federally funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, UC San Diego is training health professionals, caregivers, and community advocates—with particular focus on rural, tribal, and underserved areas—to recognize, diagnose, and manage Alzheimer's and related dementias.

The university's Stein Institute for Research on Aging extends this mission by providing training opportunities for medical students, early-career faculty, and postdoctoral scholars specializing in aging and age-related diseases. These programs ensure that knowledge developed in UC San Diego's laboratories and clinics ripples outward, benefiting communities across the region and beyond.

Looking Ahead

Alzheimer's disease remains one of medicine's most formidable challenges, but UC San Diego's multifaceted approach offers genuine reasons for hope. By attacking the problem from every angle—detection, treatment, research, clinical care, and workforce development—the institution is building a comprehensive infrastructure to meet this growing crisis.

"While the disease can seem insurmountable, there's also so much opportunity in this field," Dr. Brewer noted. His optimism reflects the reality that decades of investment, world-class facilities, and collaborative research networks have positioned UC San Diego to not just study Alzheimer's disease, but to fundamentally change its trajectory for future generations.

For the millions of families touched by Alzheimer's, that possibility offers something precious: hope that tomorrow's treatments will be more effective, that diagnoses will come earlier, and that the burden of this devastating disease will finally begin to lift.

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Sources

1. UC San Diego Today. (2025, December 2). 5 Ways UC San Diego Is Transforming Alzheimer's Research and Care. Retrieved from https://today.ucsd.edu/story/5-ways-uc-san-diego-is-transforming-alzheimers-research-and-care

2. Alzheimer's Association. (2025). 2025 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(3). https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures

3. National Institute on Aging. (2025). Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-research-centers

4. UC San Diego Health. (2025). Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. https://medschool.ucsd.edu/research/adrc/

5. Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study. (2025). About ADCS. UC San Diego. https://www.adcs.org/about-us/

6. UC San Diego Health. (2025). Center for Brain Health and Memory Disorders. https://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/neuro/specialty-programs/memory-disorders/

7. National Institute on Aging. (2024). Lecanemab (Leqembi) Approved for Treatment of Early Alzheimer's Disease. https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/lecanemab-leqembi-approved-treatment-early-alzheimers-disease

8. Health Resources and Services Administration. (2025). Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hrsa.gov/grants/find-funding/HRSA-25-124

9. UC San Diego Stein Institute for Research on Aging. (2025). Training Programs. https://stein.ucsd.edu/training/

10. World Health Organization. (2024). Dementia. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia