Imagine a world where Alzheimer’s no longer robs families of their loved ones. Where cancer is stopped cold. Where cardiovascular diseases are a distant memory. This is the world WashU Medicine researchers work tirelessly towards, and this relentless pursuit drives our most crucial clinical trials.
Primary Prevention trial participant Hannah Richardson, 24, undergoes a clinical exam given by WashU Medicine neurologist Nupur Ghoshal, MD, PhD. The international trial, led by WashU Medicine, aims to determine whether stopping the early molecular changes that lead to symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease can prevent the disease from ever taking hold.
WashU Medicine is leading the way at the intersection of patient care and cutting-edge research by conducting more than 2,500+ clinical trials annually — including transformative work in breast cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart health and beyond.
We are committed to discovering breakthroughs that improve lives and redefine health outcomes. Clinical trials are at the forefront of medical discovery, offering patients access to the latest, most promising therapies and, ultimately, hope when they’ve run out of other options.
For those facing a future of uncertainty, WashU Medicine’s clinical trials offer more than just treatment — they offer a chance. Especially for patients like Hannah Richardson.
Meet the families living under the weight of genetic destiny — and the scientists racing to change it
Hannah is only 24, and lives with the devastating knowledge that her family has a history of early-onset Alzheimer’s. “My grandfather passed away from Alzheimer’s, and so did his mother and all but one of his brothers,” said Richardson.
Participating in one of the many innovative clinical trials led by WashU Medicine each year, Richardson is one of the first participants in the transformative Primary Prevention Trial aimed at preventing Alzheimer’s disease in young adults at high risk.
My mom was always very open about her diagnosis and how it spurred her advocacy for Alzheimer’s research, and I’ve always known I wanted to follow in her footsteps.
Hannah Richardson
While the trial is limited to members of families with genetic mutations that all but guarantee they will develop Alzheimer’s at a young age, typically in their 30s, 40s or 50s, the researchers expect that the study’s results will inform prevention and treatment efforts for all forms of Alzheimer’s disease.
“My mom was always very open about her diagnosis and how it spurred her advocacy for Alzheimer’s research, and I’ve always known I wanted to follow in her footsteps,” Richardson said. “I am happy to be involved in the Primary Prevention Trial and be involved in research because I know how important it is.”
Richardson’s chance to break the cycle of genetic disease is made possible because of WashU Medicine’s innovative science and research, but also because of funding from passionate donors making an impact at all levels. These trials are already changing lives — and thanks to donor support, the beginning of the end of Alzheimer’s could soon be in sight.
“We have seen tremendous progress in the treatment of Alzheimer disease in the past few years,” said Eric McDade, DO, a professor of neurology and the trial’s principal investigator. “Two amyloid-targeting drugs were shown to slow symptoms of the disease and have now been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as treatments for people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. This provides strong support for our hypothesis that intervening when amyloid beta plaques are at the very earliest stage, long before symptoms arise, could prevent symptoms from emerging in the first place.”
Every medical discovery starts somewhere.
The next one could start with you.
Introducing the Imagine a World Fund — a new way for donors at any level to directly support the groundbreaking research happening at WashU Medicine. Join us in creating even more opportunities for patients to triumph over adversity by making a gift today.
