Neuroscience Researcher Has Positive Message for International Alzheimer's Awareness...

Neuroscience Researcher Has Positive Message for International Alzheimer's
Awareness Week, July 6 - 12: 'Even Though World Economy is Declining,
Alzheimer's Research is Advancing'
Quincy Bioscience's Mark Underwood says increased understanding of calcium's
link to neuron health brings treatment for Alzheimer's disease and age-related
memory loss within reach

MADISON, Wis., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- In the midst of generally gloomy
worldwide economic news and rising global tensions, an American neuroscience
researcher has a message of hope: The answer for Alzheimer's disease and
other degenerative diseases of the brain that cause memory loss may be much
closer than we realize.

Mark Underwood, president of the Madison, Wisconsin-based biotech company,
Quincy Bioscience (www.quincybioscience.com), says several recent studies have
confirmed a suspected link between unregulated, excessive calcium levels
within the neurons and the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease.

"Simply put, we now know that it is 'calcium overload' within the neurons that
causes those neurons to stop functioning and brings about cognitive impairment
and symptoms associated with Alzheimer's," says Underwood.

"Knowing this link allows us to postulate that an effective treatment for
Alzheimer's could be as simple as devising a process to remove the excess
calcium ions from calcium-overloaded neurons and thereby restore normal
neuronal function."

Underwood says Quincy's own study confirmed that cognitive function could be
improved by lowering neuronal calcium concentrations.

"We asked 83 healthy volunteers with self-described poor memory to consume a
supplement (Prevagen(R), www.prevagen.com) containing a protein found in
jellyfish that buffers calcium by binding to it," says Underwood.

"After 90 days, 63% of the volunteers reported less forgetfulness, 81%
reported they required fewer reminders to complete daily tasks, and 74%
reported improved ability to find the correct words in a conversation."

Underwood says a key difference between normal, healthy individuals and those
with Alzheimer's disease is the rate at which healthy neurons become
overloaded with calcium.

"Humans are born able to manufacture their own calcium-binding proteins but we
gradually stop producing them at about age 40, and that's when our neurons
start to weaken and we begin to experience mild memory loss," says Underwood.
"Those with Alzheimer's apparently stop producing these proteins at a faster
rate so their cognitive impairment occurs with greater velocity."

Underwood says he is confident that a drug for Alzheimer's can be developed
incorporating the jellyfish calcium-binding protein.

"We have shown that normal adults can improve their memory, focus, and
concentration by lowering their neuronal calcium," says Underwood. "We are
very optimistic that the same compound can now be tested on Alzheimer's
patients to assess their level of cognitive improvement."

ABOUT QUINCY BIOSCIENCE (www.quincybioscience.com)

Quincy Bioscience is a biotech company located in Madison, Wisconsin focused
on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel medicines to
treat age related memory loss and the diseases of aging. The company's
therapeutic products focus on alleviating the consequences of impaired calcium
homeostasis - the imbalance of calcium ions thought to be related to
neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Web: www.quincybioscience.com

SOURCE Quincy Bioscience

Cathy Vangierri, for Quincy Bioscience, +1-727-447-4992 x201,
cathyv@theprgroup.com