National Endowment for Alzheimer's Research

The National Endowment for Alzheimer's Research (NEAR) is a non-profit medical research foundation based in the USA. It is currently the only organization in the world with a focus on developing gene therapy to treat Alzheimer's disease. While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, NEAR is involved in research to search for ways to reverse the course of the disease and improve neurological function. This research is expected to have a major impact on human health, since over five million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's Disease and the financial impact is projected to be greater than 100 billion in yearly aggregate costs to the government, employers, and individuals in the USA. [1] In the future, it is believed that gene therapy will be one of many potential treatments for this disorder. The motto of NEAR is "Because Memory Matters," [2] which speaks to the need to preserve human dignity through scientific research on memory and cognition.