Promising FTD Gene Therapy from AviadoBio Featured in the UK Guardian
In London’s Docklands, British biotech company AviadoBio is developing a promising gene therapy to treat FTD. The Guardian wrote about the company’s progress on June 13. AviadoBio’s lead therapy, AVB-101, targets the specific genetic form FTD-GRN, caused by mutations that create a deficiency in progranulin, a protein essential for healthy brain cells. The treatment represents…
Read MoreFTD Science Digest: Help Advance Science by Joining the Updated FTD Disorders Registry
It is a pivotal time for FTD clinical research. New therapies have advanced to phase 3 clinical trials. Treatments for FTD caused by variants in specific genes are closer than ever. Trials targeting sporadic FTD are also emerging, such as an ongoing trial on semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) and an upcoming platform trial…
Read MoreFTD Research Spotlight: A New Researcher Portal and Other Updates from the FTD Disorders Registry
It is a pivotal time for FTD clinical research. New therapies have advanced to phase 3 clinical trials. Treatments for FTD caused by variants in specific genes are closer than ever. Trials targeting sporadic FTD are also emerging, such as an ongoing trial on semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) and an upcoming platform trial…
Read MoreAFTD Webinar: Speech Language Therapy — A Promising Practice in FTD Treatment and Care
When patients lose the ability to communicate effectively, doctors and other clinicians often refer them to a speech language pathologist (SLP) to help them regain their speaking skills. But for patients with the FTD disorder known as primary progressive aphasia (PPA), lost speaking abilities do not return, and communication only gets worse as the brain…
Read MoreThe Lived Experience of FTD: The Challenges of July Fourth
The following article was written by former Persons with FTD Advisory Council member Cindy Odell. The Council works to ensure the voice of people living with FTD guides AFTD as it works towards a future free from FTD; you can learn more about the Council and current members on AFTD’s website. What an exciting time…
Read More2nd Annual Jim Tobin Memorial Golf Tournament
AFTD Ambassador Dawn O’Gara will host the 2nd Annual Jim Tobin Memorial Golf Tournament on September 28, 2025, with all proceeds donated to AFTD for Research. The tournament will be held at Raceway Golf Club in Thompson, CT. Cost is $500 per foursome, or $40 for dinner buffet only. Registration fee includes 18 holes of golf, green…
Read MoreChinese Study Explores the Psychological Well-being and Health of Dementia Caregivers
A study published in the journal BMC Geriatrics explores the self-assessed well-being of informal care partners and professional caregivers who support people with dementia, such as FTD. The study provides insights that could help guide the development of support tools for improving the overall health of care partners on the FTD journey. Caregiving Can Impact…
Read MoreAFTD Advocacy Webinar: Sharing Your Story to Make a Difference — How to Connect with Legislators and Create Change
Cuts to federal programs are threatening the support systems that people living with FTD and their families rely on. Now more than ever, your voice matters. Join us for a powerful AFTD Advocacy Webinar where you’ll learn how to share your FTD journey with legislators in a way that drives real change. We’ll walk you…
Read More“Alzheimer’s & Dementia” Publishes Summary of AFTD’s 2022 Holloway Summit
Digital health technologies have the potential to benefit the FTD community by improving accessibility to research and clinical care. Such technologies were the focus of the 2022 Holloway Summit — a summary of which was recently published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. The article highlights several digital health technologies being developed to remotely assess…
Read MoreLeonard A. Lauder, 1933-2025
Leonard A. Lauder, a legend of the cosmetics industry who invested hundreds of millions of dollars into research seeking a cure for FTD and other dementias through his Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), has died at age 92. AFTD presented Mr. Lauder with the Susan Newhouse & Si Newhouse Award of Hope at our Hope…
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