Alzheimer's disease gene/s within reach
A team of international scientists, led by Professor Mike Owen from the University of Wales College of Medicine, has discovered new evidence of a gene involved in the common form of Alzheimer’s disease. Their study of 429 Welsh and American sibling pairs over the age of 65 with Alzheimer’s found that around two thirds of pairs shared the same genetic characteristic on chromosome 10, revealing that there is at least one major gene for the disease nearby. Identifying the responsible gene, or genes, could in the longer term lead to new and better treatments for Alzheimer’s.
Science 2000; 290: 2304-2305