Jorge Barrio, a professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, was recently appointed to the Elizabeth and Thomas Plott Chair in Gerontology.
He was recognized for his achievements in the field, particularly in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other diseases of the brain, collectively known as dementia.
Starting his work at UCLA in 1979, Barrio has worked in developing molecular imaging probes for positron emission tomography (PET) that attach to the protein deposits that are early indications of the disease.
Barrio was able to use a molecule named FDDNP that, when injected, safely binds to protein plaques and tangles in the brain, said George Bartzokis, the director of the clinical core for the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at UCLA.
“This probe can detect these protein deposits in humans in a noninvasive way,” Bartzokis said. “(This allows) early detection while the brain is still functioning properly.”
The goal for Barrio’s lab in the past 15 years has been to find these plaques and tangles upon formation before it progresses to other parts of the brain, such as the behavioral region.
“The problem with the clinical approach of diagnosis is that when they start showing the symptoms, it is already too late … because there is already neuron loss,” Barrio said.
The plaques can be formed about 15 to 25 years before the first sign of disease, making early detection and treatment possible.
A variety of treatment options for Alzheimer’s are available, and more are being tested in clinical trials.
Food supplements such as curry, green tea and red wine, drugs for the disease, and maintenance of an active lifestyle have been shown to prevent and reduce the symptoms of the disease, Barrio said.
The same concept of using disease-specific molecular probes for diagnosis has been applied to other problems of the brain, including Parkinson’s disease, inflammation and memory loss.
Recognized for such contributions to gerontology, Barrio will have a five year term and an endowment of $500,000.
The chair is administered by the UCLA Center on Aging and the recipient is selected by a group of distinguished faculty, said Gary Small, UCLA’s Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging and the director of the center.
“The community looks at innovation, applicability, overall lifetime achievement and recent contribution,” Small said.
With this recognition and financial support, Barrio said he will continue to work to improve diagnostic imaging as well as to further his research in treatment and prevention methods.
“This is a tremendous honor and a great responsibility,” Barrio said. “It has improved my determination to fight the disease.”
Barrio’s interest and desire to work in this field first stemmed from personal reasons as well as social implications.
“My father died of Parkinson’s disease. (His death) strengthened my commitment to help the prevention of the disease,” Barrio said.
He has also realized the social significance of the diseases as an increasing number of people are living to older ages. With the rise in elderly comes a rise in the incidence of dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is expected to triple in the next 30 years as the baby boomer generation is moving into old age, said Bartzokis.
While more people will be surviving to older ages, this can create a crisis in the health care system.
Yet the method of early prevention can significantly relieve this problem so that the money for health care can be used elsewhere, Barrio said.
Driven to improve early diagnosis and perfect prevention and treatment, Barrio has been able to successfully make remarkable contributions to gerontology, Small said.
“The choice was hard because there are so many distinguished candidates, but he is an innovative and creative scientist who is very deserving of this award,” he said.