亿万富翁投资3000万美元向阿兹海默症开战

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has joined with fellow billionaires to take on Alzheimer's disease.

Gates, along with Leonard Lauder, the Dolby family, and the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation are committing more than $30 million over the next three years to encourage development of new tests for early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Last November, Gates invested $50 million in the Dementia Discovery Fund, a venture capital fund that brings together industry and government to seek treatments for the brain-wasting disease.

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, affects nearly 50 million people worldwide. Alzheimer's erodes memory, motor functions and a patient's ability to live a normal life.

As the U.S. population ages, the disease is expected to afflict more than 13.8 million Americans by 2050.

The funds will be available to scientists and clinicians working in academic settings around the world, charities and biotechnology companies.

美国微软公司联合创始人和慈善家比尔·盖茨加入其它亿万富翁向阿兹海默症开战。

盖茨、莱纳德·兰黛、杜比家族以及查尔斯和海伦施瓦布基金会承诺今后3年提供3000万美元用于鼓励开发早期诊断阿兹海默症的新试验。

盖茨去年11月向“痴呆症关怀基金”注资5000万美元。这是一个联合产业和政府力量的风险投资基金，目的是寻求治疗造成脑萎缩的阿兹海默症。

阿兹海默症是一种最常见的痴呆症，全球有将近5000万患者。阿兹海默症侵蚀患者的记忆、身体活动功能以及过正常生活的能力。

随着美国人口老化，阿兹海默症预计在2050年之前将影响1380万人。

“痴呆症关怀基金”向全世界科学家和参与科研的临床医生以及慈善组织和生物技术公司提供资金帮助。