What If Alzheimer's Disease Is Caused by "Bad Plumbing"?
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Here is a fun question... Can you name one hole in your body that, if sewn shut, would help you function better?
Assuming you have an anatomically normal body, the answer is none. While saying that "bad plumbing" causes Alzheimer's Disease is an oversimplification, it is a great way to quickly explain why we angel invested in Leucadia Therapeutics in 2015. The Principal Scientist, Founder, and CEO of Leucadia Therapeutics, Doug Ethell, Ph.D., had an Occam's Razor approach to AD, which was refreshing to us and an inspiration. As it turns out, the Cribriform Plate that drains cerebrospinal fluid can get ossified or clogged as you age. In AD patients, it is always significantly clogged, thus the "bad plumbing" analogy.
With support from the Methuselah Foundation and the Methuselah Fund, Doug Ethell left his position as a tenured Professor in order to become a full-time CEO of Leucadia Therapeutics. In a recent conference, Doug outlined his novel hypothesis and explains some of his findings that create a promise of success. Moreover, Doug describes some of the on-going studies at Leucadia and most importantly, how they plan to create a diagnostic tool and a treatment that can halt or even reverse Mild Cognitive Impairment before AD emerges.
We hope you enjoy his presentation as much as we did!