There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but researchers, many of whom launch clinical trials in South Florida, are optimistic as the genetics, the pathology and the intricacies of Alzheimer's become better known. An estimated 450,000 Floridians have Alzheimer's disease, a number that is expected to grow by another 135,000 or so by 2025, according to the Alzheimer's Association, a national group that focuses on Alzheimer's research. Florida ranks second only to California in Alzheimer's patients.
"We want to map the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's so we can understand the landscape," said Dr. Margaret Pericak-Vance, director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and recipient of this year's lifetime achievement award by the Alzheimer's Association.
