Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute Launches Major Clinical Trials for Down Syndrome-Related Alzheimer's Disease
The USC Epstein Family Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI), located in Sorrento Valley, is initiating two significant clinical trials focused on Alzheimer's disease (AD) in individuals with Down syndrome. Dr. Michael Rafii, medical director of ATRI, highlighted that approximately 95% of people with Down syndrome develop AD by age 40, making it the leading cause of death for this population. The first trial, ALADDIN, will evaluate donanemab, an FDA-approved therapy known to remove beta-amyloid plaques, to determine its efficacy in people with Down syndrome. The second trial, APPlauDS, will take a more targeted approach by focusing on the APP gene on chromosome 21, which is responsible for the overproduction of beta-amyloid in individuals with Down syndrome. This genetic predisposition, where people with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two, leads to earlier onset of AD, typically in their early 40s, with dementia developing around age 53. These trials aim to translat... 
