The NIH's National Institute on Aging announced on January 15 that a cornucopia of research grants is now offered to probe infectious possibilities in the causation of Alzheimer's.

Academic, nonprofit, and business organizations can apply.  There is no upper limit to the amount of money that can be requested, if the applicant's budget justifies it.

Leslie Norins, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of Alzheimer's Germ Quest (ALZgerm.org), said "This is a dream come true for the lonely pioneers who for decades have reported, and urged more studies of, the possible roles of microbes in the causation of Alzheimer's disease. Many were ignored or ridiculed, and financial support was almost impossible to obtain."

Monies for Alzheimer's research seemed to some to be in the iron grip of the "amyloid cartel", which may now be considered broken, said Dr.Norins.

But he stressed that the situation was never "either/or"; the infectious disease investigators did not want to deny funding to the amyloid proponents; they only wanted a small fraction of those millions of dollars routed to the study of possible microbes.

Dr. Norins said, "Tremendous credit goes to the NIA for acknowledging the need to better understand the role, if any, of microbes.  If causative ones can be found, a simple blood test and perhaps even a vaccine are possible.

Dr. Norins added, "For the past four years our own Alzheimer's Germ Quest project labored to bring this under-investigated research niche more into the mainstream of recognition and funding.

He especially credited the Infectious Diseases Society of America and The Benter Foundation for crucial support and encouragement.

He summarized with part of a quote attributed to John Kennedy: "Victory has a thousand fathers."