My Alzheimer's Journey
Part 87 - Ultrasound Enhanced Drug Delivery
A few weeks ago, I wrote about WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and the ultrasound drug delivery system they have developed. I promised to take a deeper dive into ultrasound enhanced drug delivery in a future post. This drug delivery system is extremely important since early studies show it is able to penetrate the brain blood barrier (BBB).
As I began my research into ultrasound enhanced drug delivery, I quickly realized that this subject deserves three separate posts:
An Overview of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation
History of Ultrasound Enhanced Drug Delivery
Current and Emerging Ultrasound Enhanced Drug Delivery Technology
In 2006, the Focused Ultrasound Foundation was created to “accelerate the development and adoption of focused ultrasound as a global standard of care by shortening the time from laboratory research to its widespread use.” This well-funded, tax-exempt organization is a model for how private money and entrepreneurial energy can drive laboratory research to patient treatment rapidly and safely. In fact, in 2018, the Foundation was recognized as one of America’s 10 Best Medical Research Organizations by Charity Navigator.
Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Foundation has a global reach. There are three sister organizations. These organizations are located in London, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands.
The Founder and Chairman of the Foundation is Dr. Neal Kassell. He is the former Co-Chair of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia. I find it interesting that the Foundation’s Board of Directors is a mix of scientists, physicians, business leaders, attorneys, and technology pioneers. Just to name a few of the current Board members, there is Michael Milken, Syaru Shirley Lin, Dr. Freda Lewis-Hall, and William A. Hawkins.
The Foundation provides funding and leadership for research projects with a “goal of making focused ultrasound available to patients in the shortest time possible.” 323 projects have been funded since the Foundation began is 2016. Eleven of those projects are focused on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these projects are in pre-clinical trial stages and some are at the clinical trial stage.
The Foundation also provides research grants through disease specific associations. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association has many grants available, some are specifically related to focused ultrasound research. The Foundation provides the funding for those grants.
The Foundation is carefully managed to maintain their mission and to get results. There are strict requirements for funding applications and the approval process is rigorous. At the end of 2024, the Foundation had $39 million in assets. There are less than sixty people on their staff.
While the Foundation is driving Focused Ultrasound research for hundreds of diseases, I am confident that their work in neurological diseases will make huge strides in the treatment of AD.
You have heard me screaming from my soapbox about the need for focused and well-funded Alzheimer’s cure research. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation is the perfect model for an organization focused on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. There is an organization called Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. I believe they are less hands on with the research projects they fund than the Focused Ultrasound Foundation is with their projects. Not to take anything away from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund though, they are doing amazing work.
Now, who is going to tell Trump the Kennedy Center does not need remodeling? Let’s give that $200 million to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. We need a damn cure.
In closing, over the weekend I designed several new cat graphics for products ranging from tee-shirts to tote bags. I especially like the Crazy Cat Lady graphics. All the new designs are sale until March 1.
For all you dog people, those designs are in the works.
