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For the first time, more than 40 genes have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease in a “landmark” new study that could pave the way for better diagnosis and treatment.
Scientists from across the globe, including the UK, have carried out the biggest research project of its kind looking at the genome of more than 100,000 people with Alzheimer’s.
The findings suggest that the disease is caused by a multitude of different factors and provide new evidence for the role of a specific protein that is involved in inflammation.
The team hopes that, in future, they will be able to determine which factors put people at risk of Alzheimer’s and to develop therapies that better treat the condition.
Genetic testing could help identify those at risk
Genetic testing could also identify those who are most at risk of developing Alzheimer’s before their symptoms begin to appear.
The study, published in Nature Genetics, identified 75 genes associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, including 42 genes not previously implicated in the condition.
It also confirmed previous findings regarding the proteins amyloid-beta and tau, which build up in and around nerve cells as Alzheimer’s progresses and found that inflammation and the immune system play a role in the disease.
A group of 111,326 people with Alzheimer’s disease were compared with 677,663 healthy individuals in order to look for differences in their genetic make-up.
New ‘landmark’ Alzheimer’s study could allow for better diagnosis and treatment (PA)
For the first time, the findings showed that a specific biological signalling pathway involving TNF-alpha (a protein with an important role in inflammation and the immune system) is implicated in Alzheimer’s.
The research also offered more evidence that the dysfunction of microglia (immune cells in the brain that are responsible for eliminating toxic substances) contributes to the way the…
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Source : times
