CJD Foundation Israel

The association has been active for more than a decade in full volunteerism in advancing the research and treatment of the people of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) and supporting their families. This degenerative brain disease is incurable and causes certain death, in a horrible rapidly progressive way in a few months. It erupts from the age of 30 without known triggers and sows trauma in many families, since in its genetic-dominant role, one carrier parent is enough to pass the risk to the next generation. Thus, beyond the severe loss of the patient, the families live in constant anxiety to get sick too. This disease exists in Israel most frequently in the world in genetic form. The current assessment is that there are tens of thousands of carriers, and unfortunately, it will only keep on spreading. However, our disadvantage is also our advantage (!) Since we can consolidate an important and unique knowledge base of its kind in the world. The association maintains concessions with many researchers in Israel and abroad and promotes research from various directions in the field. One of our most important initiatives is the establishment of a pool of samples of family members (patients suspected) and patients that will be accessible to researchers from all over the world to promote research in the field. Additionally, the organization supports the families of the patients, and facilitates the accessibility of information. It is important to note that a study of this neurodegenerative disease can shed light on other common degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and others, since the mechanism underlying these diseases is similar. Research based on a bio repository of carriers and patient of such a relatively rare disease can be an advantage in research, since data can be narrowly focused on the relavant data.