{"id":9895,"date":"2026-03-26T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/?p=9895"},"modified":"2026-03-26T11:09:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:09:05","slug":"linda-and-mike-mussallem-foundation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/news\/linda-and-mike-mussallem-foundation\/","title":{"rendered":"A gift to USC from the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation will expand and enhance clinical trials for people with Down syndrome at risk for Alzheimer\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n Campus News<\/span>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

A gift to USC from the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation will expand and enhance clinical trials for people with Down syndrome at risk for Alzheimer\u2019s<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n \n March 26, 2026<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/path><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/path><\/path><\/g><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n

By the age of 40, approximately 95% of people with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer\u2019s disease, the leading cause of death for this population. Yet individuals with Down syndrome historically have been excluded from participating in clinical trials into treatments for Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Now, that access will expand in the U.S. and globally, thanks to a game-changing gift from the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation to the Keck School of Medicine of USC and its Epstein Family Alzheimer\u2019s Therapeutic Research Institute (Epstein ATRI).<\/p>\n

Opening Access to Treatments<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur experiences with our beloved brothers who both had Down syndrome and also later developed Alzheimer\u2019s gives us a unique perspective on the urgent need for better treatment options,\u201d said Mike and Linda Mussallem, co-founders of the Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation, in a joint statement. \u201cIt is meaningful for us to support the Epstein ATRI team as they advance clinical trials for innovative therapies to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome who have or are at risk for Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mussallems are partnering with a leader in research-based solutions for people with Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are grateful to Linda and Mike Mussallem for their timely support of our growing clinical trials efforts. People with Down syndrome deserve access to the same life-changing breakthroughs beginning to emerge for the general population,\u201d said Michael Rafii, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at the Keck School of Medicine, Medical Director of the Epstein ATRI and Principal Investigator of the Alzheimer\u2019s Clinical Trials Consortium\u2014Down Syndrome (ACTC-DS).<\/p>\n

The Mussallem Foundation gift will add more domestic sites to the ACTC-DS clinical trial network, currently 20 sites strong. The funding will also maintain four international clinical trial sites that would have paused research due to a loss of government funding, at Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability, Dublin; University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Institut J\u00e9r\u00f4me Lejeune, Paris; and, Sant Pau Medical Research Institute, Barcelona.<\/p>\n

The Mussallem\u2019s generous gift includes a matching component that will effectively double the impact of their support, accelerating the enhancement and expansion of the ACTC-DS network.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an exciting time with a growing number of treatments for Alzheimer\u2019s disease under evaluation,\u201d said Dr. Rafii. \u201cWe are committed to fast-tracking the most effective interventions for the Down syndrome community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Targeting Genetic Origins<\/strong><\/p>\n

Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a third copy of chromosome 21. The extra chromosome carries a gene that produces one of the key proteins (amyloid precursor protein) involved with changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndividuals with Down syndrome are very capable participants in clinical studies,\u201d Dr. Rafii said. \u201cDeveloping treatments specifically for them can lead to significantly improved outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recent trials being conducted by Epstein ATRI and its partner sites include:<\/p>\n