Prana Biotechnology Presents at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease
July 19 2004 - 12:31PM
PR Newswire (US)
Prana Biotechnology Presents at the 9th International Conference on
Alzheimer's Disease Co-founding scientist to discuss new data on
the interaction of cholesterol with beta-amyloid and brain metals
PHILADELPHIA, July 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dr. Ashley Bush,
chief scientific consultant and co-founder of Prana Biotechnology
Limited (NASDAQ: PRAN)(ASX:PBT) is scheduled to present a lecture
tonight at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease
and Related Disorders (ICAD), a specialist international symposium
in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Ballroom
A/B. The event will commence at 5:30 PM. Dr. Bush intends to
present a lecture entitled "Clioquinol and the Metal- Protein
Attenuating Compounds (MPACs*) in the treatment of Alzheimer's
disease" at a session devoted to the development of therapeutic
strategies. Based on the hypothesis that beta amyloid is a key
player in the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease, Prana
maintains that it is the inappropriate interaction of beta amyloid
with brain metals copper and zinc that leads to the progression
associated with the disease. As part of his remarks, Dr. Bush
intends to discuss how clioquinol detects amyloid pathology in
brain tissue and how the drug arrives at the appropriate
biochemical target in living transgenic mice and in post-mortem
tissue from patients with Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Bush and his
co-workers at the University of Melbourne and Massachusetts General
Hospital have developed this theory over 15 years of research. For
much of this time, the research community has been sceptical toward
what was a major departure from the more favoured theories.
Invitations to present the MPAC approach at premier conferences
such as ICAD demonstrate the increasing support for Prana's
technology in the Alzheimer's community. Co-founding Scientist of
Prana, Dr. Rudolph E. Tanzi, Professor of Neurology at Harvard
Medical School said, "This conference is regarded as an important
event, not only for scientists and medical practitioners in the
industry, but also for the millions of patients worldwide who have
Alzheimer's, This invitation to speak to international peers about
the scientific basis for Prana's MPAC technology is an indication
that our theories have achieved considerable acceptance." Also at
ICAD, on Wednesday July 21, Dr. Bush is scheduled to give an
invited lecture that will review the basic neuroscience describing
the involvement of brain copper and zinc in Alzheimer pathology.
New data is expected to be presented on the interaction of
cholesterol with beta-amyloid and brain metals, which may play a
key role in the sequence of events that leads to dementia. The
possibility that beta-amyloid participates in the functional
regulation of copper levels in health will be discussed. (*MPACs,
or Metal-Protein Attenuating Compounds are compounds that bind
metals to prevent their interactions with proteins.) International
Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD) The ICAD is the world's
leading forum on dementia research, and provides the opportunity
for more than 5,000 attending researchers to share knowledge and
develop creative new approaches to increasing the understanding of
Alzheimer's. About Prana Biotechnology Limited Prana Biotechnology
was established to commercialise research into Alzheimer's disease
and other major age-related degenerative disorders. The company was
incorporated in 1997 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in
March 2000. Researchers at prominent international institutions
including the University of Melbourne and Massachusetts General
Hospital at Harvard Medical School discovered Prana's technology.
This press release contains "forward looking statements" within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
regarding the Company's business strategy and future plans of
operation. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties; both general and specific to the matters
discussed in this press release. These and other important factors,
including those mentioned in various Securities and Exchange
Commission filings made by the Company, may cause the Company's
actual results and performance to differ materially from the future
results and performance expressed in or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements
contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof
and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to provide
public updates, revisions or amendments to any forward-looking
statements made herein to reflect changes in the Company's
expectations or future events. For further information, please
visit our web site at http://www.pranabio.com/. DATASOURCE: Prana
Biotechnology Limited CONTACT: Company - Geoffrey Kempler of Prana
Biotechnology Ltd., +61-3-9349-4906; or Media - Ivette Almeida,
+1-212-983-1702, ext. 209, or Investor - Rachel Levine, both of The
Anne McBride Company, +1-212-983-1702, ext. 207 Web site:
http://www.pranabio.com/
Copyright