Partnering for Patient Impact: Advancing Drug Discovery for Alzheimer's Disease

Each episode of the Inventor Chronicles follows a different inventor’s journey, from initial inspiration to life-changing invention.

Dianne Perez, PhD and Shaun Stauffer, PhD, shed light on the impact of Alzheimer's disease. With a personal connection to the disease, Dr. Perez explored drug discovery, leveraging her expertise in neurotransmitters and degenerative diseases. Dr. Perez and Dr. Stauffer’s pioneering work focused on activating a specific receptor in the brain to develop a drug for Alzheimer's disease. By utilizing green fluorescent protein and tagging it to the receptor, her team observed significant activity in cognitive centers, marking a pivotal milestone in their research.

What sets their work apart is the approach to modulating these receptors through allosteric signaling, enabling the development of a first-in-class drug. The safety profile of this molecule holds promise for further studies and potential progression to new trials. This innovative drug not only targets the receptor on a molecular level but also offers new insights into the pathology and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Every small step forward in understanding the disease or drug development brings hope for the millions affected by Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Perez and Dr. Stauffer’s dedication and the groundbreaking nature of their research are poised to make a significant impact in the fight against this debilitating disease.

Please join Cleveland Clinic Innovations for a new webinar series, Innovation In Action: Revolutionizing Healthcare, where we showcase the transformative power of technologies developed at Cleveland Clinic. This series will delve into cutting-edge medical research and highlight pioneering inventors and their groundbreaking inventions.

In the first webinar of the series, Small Molecule Therapeutics for Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer, Dr. Shaun Stauffer and Nima Sharifi, MD, Scientific Director, Desai Sethi Urology Institute, University of Miami, will delve into the role of several novel enzymes in castration resistant prostate cancer and their identification as targets for small molecule inhibitors. The session will cover the development of new drug candidates and how they might be applied to improve patient care. After the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to have their questions answered by Dr. Stauffer and Dr. Sharifi. Learn more about the webinar and register here.

Cleveland Clinic Innovations brings the best ideas from the brightest minds in medicine to patients around the world by connecting inventors and their ideas with strategic industry partners to create products that transform the future of healthcare. Since our inception in 2000, Cleveland Clinic Innovations has helped inventors receive 2,700+ patents, executed more than 850 licenses and launched over 100 start-ups to turn ideas into next-generation products for patients.

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