New gene increases Alzheimer’s risk 
An international study led by Canadian and US scientists has uncovered a major new gene known as SORL1 that increases the risk of developing Alzheimers disease.

Pfizer gains rights to Genzion discovery programs 
Pfizer has entered an agreement with Genizon BioSciences in order to gain access to its discovery programs in Alzheimers disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and endometriosis.

Obituaries 
Robert F. Cummings Sr. CLIFTON PARK – Robert F. Cummings Sr., 87, of Lincoln Town Drive, died Thursday, December 28, 2006, at home. Bob was born in Schuylerville to the late John and Johanna McCarty Cummings Mr. Cummings graduated from Schuylerville High School in 1937. He took numerous insurance classes through Siena College.

David Kirby: The CDC’s Pound of Mercury 
Worried about mercury in the environment? Here’s one way to help: Go get a flu shot. More than 100 million doses of flu vaccine have been delivered this year, with another 10-15 million on the way — a US record (the previous record was 83 million) to help meet the CDC’s goal of vaccinating two out of every three people in the country. But now it seems that “drumming up demand for so much …

Study finds folate may reduce Alzheimer’s risk 
Source: Reuters By Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Higher intake of the nutrient folate may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 did not yield the same benefit …

House backs broader embryonic stem cell research 
The new Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to lift President George W. Bush’s restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research.

High Tech Help Ahead For Alzheimers Patients 
It’s a statistic that scares families of Alzheimers patients–60 percent of the patients are at risk of wandering away. And with the U.P.’s rugged terrain, it’s easy for them to get lost.

3:25 p.m. Garden City police look for missing woman
Idaho Statesman – Garden City Police are asking for help finding a missing woman who has Alzheimers disease. Marjorie Boren, 67, of Salmon, was last seen today at 11 a.m. at the LDS Cannery in the 600 block of East 46th Street in Garden City, police said. Boren is 5

Stem cell research playing key role in this year’s elections
Philadelphia Inquirer – Yes, it has an impact on you when your priest talks about this issue, but I think it has a much bigger impact on you if your grandmother has Alzheimers,” said McCaskill, the Missouri state auditor. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she talked about Fox’s

Cold sore virus might play role in Alzheimer’s 
A gene known to be a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease puts out the welcome mat for the virus that causes cold sores, allowing the virus to be more active in the brain compared to other forms of the gene. The new findings, published online in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, add some scientific heft to the idea, long suspected by some scientists, that herpes somehow plays a role in …