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Billionaire provides $100M to help map brain genes
Treating Alzheimer's disease a primary goal
By Robert Davis USA TODAY, September 16, 2003 Billionaire Paul Allen, who along with boyhood friend Bill Gates created Microsoft, launches a $100 million scientific effort today to map the genes that drive the brain. The donation is seed money for brain research and the creation of the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. The goal: To identify every gene's role in the human brain so medical researchers can find new drugs and treatments for disorders such as Alzheimer's and schizophrenia. The venture comes at a time when brain disorders are looming larger on the horizon. Preventable and more treatable medical conditions such as heart disease are being managed better by a combination of medical advancements and a trend toward healthier lifestyles. As the 77 million baby boomers age, they are living longer. But about half of people who live to be 85 get Alzheimer's disease. So experts predict a spike in cases of degenerative brain disorders. Allen hopes the keys to treatment and prevention can be found at the root of the brain -- where genes drive the mental processes, both normal and abnormal. Today, it's a mystery. The Human Genome Project, which provided the first genetic blueprint of the human body, did not determine what each gene does. So researchers still don't know which genes make a kidney and which ones make a brain. ''It's like opening a box filled with parts to build two tables and there are 30,000 parts and no instructions. There is no map,'' says Mark Boguski, a genomics researcher who is senior director of the Allen Brain Atlas team. ''We have to figure out which are for the brain, and then we have to figure out how they are put together or what they do.'' Allen, one of the world's richest men with a net worth of $21.5 billion, is a philanthropist with diverse interests. He pumps money into music and film projects. He owns two sports teams. ''It's awe-inspiring that a genome with only 30,000 genes can create the brain -- a highly complex system of a trillion nerve cells,'' Allen says. Boguski hopes Allen's donation is just the start. More money will probably follow from government and other sources, he says, but the $100 million from Allen is a rare gift. ''Cross-discipline research has always been difficult to fund,'' he says. ''Research funded by the government and pharmaceutical companies tends to be very disease-focused and disease-specific.'' The donation also gives Allen a seat at the table. He tends to be a hands-on giver, helping to direct his pet projects through meetings and e-mails. And he's in a hurry. Allen has set ambitious goals, including releasing the first information in early 2004. ''This will be a launching pad for more research,'' Boguski says. ''Genome and brain research have always been two trains running down parallel tracks. This is where these fields can connect.'' Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
