Ingram first won acclaim in 1956 when he and a colleague at Cambridge University used what was the then-new science of genetic fingerprinting to identify the DNA sequence behind sickle cell anemia, making it the first known genetic disorder. Genetics and environmental factors have both been identified as causes of Alzheimer's disease in the elderly, Ingram told his audience Tuesday. His research team has spent years exploring the two established brain lesions characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, known as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Much of his research has focused on preparing so-called decoy peptides that can prevent the influx of calcium, he said. At least two treatment therapies developed in Ingram's MIT laboratory hold promise for alleviating the progression of Alzheimer's disease, he said.
Pharmaceutical testing lies ahead.