A chapter in the development of Alzheimer's disease research: A case study of public policies on the development and funding of research programs

Although Alzheimer's disease, as a clinical-neuropathologic entity, was described 100 years ago by Alois Alzheimer, the preponderance of knowledge about the disease has accumulated since the 1970s. The dramatic advances in research during the last three decades propelled the disease from near obscurity to the forefront of modern biomedical science. The remarkable transformation of this field of study is reflected by the exponential increase in the number of investigators, publications, and funded projects. The current preeminence of dementia research is largely due to the increasing numbers and quality of significant breakthroughs in understanding the molecular neurobiology of the disease. Multiple promising leads have created an atmosphere of optimism about the prospects of discovering effective interventions to delay the progression of the disease. Some of the key factors that influenced the pace of progress and helped to change the “status” of dementia research were: a) increases in research funding, b) recruitment of new scientific talent, with a convergence of know-how and technologies, c) several crucial discoveries in molecular neurobiology, and d) National Institute on Aging initiatives to promote interdisciplinary research programs by creating a nationwide network of collaborating investigators and a research infrastructure/resource. This is an account of how the evolution of research into Alzheimer's disease occurred: a story about the critical findings, people, and public policies that influenced the amazing progress in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of the disease and in setting the stage for the discovery of a cure.