Parabon Computation announced today the launch of the Compute Against Alzheimer’s Disease (CAAD) research initiative, which will accelerate investigations into the causes and risks of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) through the application of large-scale computational capacity donated by concerned citizens and organizations. AD is a leading cause of death and dementia among the elderly, affecting nearly 40 million people worldwide. In addition to its devastating effect on patients and its emotional toll on their families, the societal costs of AD are estimated to be in the hundreds of billions of dollars, yet there are no effective treatment options available today.
The CAAD software infrastructure, which is powered by idle, otherwise wasted computing capacity of potentially thousands of computers – ranging in power from laptops to Linux clusters – the program aims to become a vital platform for computationally intensive AD research. By downloading and installing a small, unobtrusive software application that, like a screensaver, operates only when a computer is not otherwise in use, volunteer providers can offer up the idle capacity from their computers to support the CAAD effort. The crowdsourcing of such spare capacity from computers around the globe will enable important AD research questions to be addressed that would otherwise be prohibitively time consuming. Individuals who wish to support the CAAD program can download the application and learn more about the research initiative by visiting ComputeAgainstAlzheimers.org.
Initially, CAAD will support two research projects. The first, led by Dr. Ellen McRae of Parabon NanoLabs, seeks to identify genetic biomarkers that, in combination, can be used to accurately predict an individual’s risk of developing AD. Using newly available data from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), McRae expects to perform some of the most in-depth analyses ever conducted into the connections between genetics and the risk of contracting AD. The results could allow early identification of individuals at risk for AD and give high-risk patients, young and old alike, the opportunity to undergo regular screening for signs of disease and to modify environmental risk factors.