January 29, 2026 5pm London UK
Reuben Guttman, JD
Daniel Aaron, JD, MD
In an increasingly aged population, two pathologies, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, have a serious impact on patients, their carers and the health system. World-wide, up to 82 million people (total) have been predicted to have Alzheimer’s disease by 2030 and ~26 million will be diagnosed with cancer annually. Understanding the molecular changes that initiate these pathologies and that drive their progression is important for the implementation of strategies to prevent disease, to detect it early and, if possible, to treat it. Evidence is accumulating that inflammation plays a key role in promoting both cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Charles Swanton and Professor Rudolph Tanzi have both published substantial and ground-breaking work on the genetics of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively. Both have more recently turned their attention to the role of inflammation in these two pathologies. In this open discussion they will compare and contrast the role of inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, addressing the possible triggers of inflammation, including environmental pollution. They will discuss their ideas on how preventative strategies might be initiated, what opportunities there are for early detection of disease, and whether there are avenues for the discovery of potential treatments.