As doctors worldwide race for a cure for Alzheimer's Disease, two Penn researchers have been recognized for their contributions in the fight against the mind-debilitating illness. The American Academy of Neurology recently awarded the 11th annual Potamkin Prize to Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Professors John Trojanowski and Virginia Lee of the Penn Medical School. Michel Goedert, a medical researcher in Cambridge, England, was also recognized for his work. The research of Trojanowski, Lee and Goedert centers on an understanding of neurofibrillary "tangles," the hallmark lesions of the Alzheimer's afflicted brain. Their laboratory research suggested that abnormal "tau" proteins were the building blocks of these "tangles," which eventually cause the death of nerve cells within the brain. Trojanowski, who attended medical school at Tufts University, remarked that he was "honored and pleased" to be recognized for his work, noting that "the Potamkin Prize is the most prestigious award given for research in neurodegenerative medicine." "[People] are constellations of [their] memories," Trojanowski said, referring to the Alzheimer's patients he sees. "Memory loss literally robs them of their identity and essence." Lee, an alumna of the medical school at the University of California at San Francisco, agreed with her colleague, but also stressed the emotional aspects of the disease -- including its affect on family relationships. Roger Rosenberg, chairperson of the 1998 Potamkin Prize Committee and a professor of neurology at the University of Texas, remarked that the "collective work of Drs. Lee, Trojanowski and Goedert [has] advanced significantly [the study of Alzheimer's] and offers insights into potential mechanisms of future therapy." Both Penn doctors emphasized the special nature of their research, noting that the disease's tragic effects can only be observed after they have already occurred. In that sense, this "detective type of work" differs from other brands of research medicine, Lee said. Trojanowski added that "progress in genetics research" will allow researchers to accelerate their efforts in the identification of targets for therapy and the development of new drugs. For the immediate future, one of the most important goals is to understand and identify the "building blocks" of the disease, according to Trojanowski and Lee. The Potamkin Prize is named in honor of Luba Potamkin, a philanthropist who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's over a decade ago. The award, consisting of $100,000 and a medallion, is administered under the auspices of the AAN, which was solicited by the Potamkin family to recognize advances in the understanding, prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's, Pick's and related diseases.
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