Breakthrough study doubles number of genes implicated in Alzheimer’s
An international consortium of researchers, led from the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics at Cardiff University, has identified five new genes that increase an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This is a doubling of the number previously known.
Professor Mike Owen, Director of MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, said:
“This ongoing genetic study has allowed us to pinpoint more precisely what may be going wrong in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers. We can now start to look at combating the specific genetic causes of Alzheimer’s, not just the effects.”
Professor Julie Williams, the leader of the study, gave an indication of its scale and implications:
“This is a follow-up of our previous work on a sample of around 20,000 Alzheimer’s sufferers and 40,000 healthy individuals. What is exciting is that the new genes, plus those previously identified, are being found in patterns.”
Specifically, the genes are involved in regulating the immune system, the ways the brain processes cholesterol and fat and a process called endocytosis; a very specific cellular process that has never been linked to Alzheimer’s before. Professor Williams and her team identified four genes that control this very precise process, which is a major indication that this plays a strong role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Professor Williams continued:
“In the short term, this is an area we should be looking at to create new treatments. Looking forward, although we still have a long way to go, the jigsaw is beginning to come together. If we were able to remove the detrimental effects of these genes through treatments, we hope we can help reduce the number of people developing Alzheimer's in the future. For example, if we could combat all the negative effects of the ten genes that have now been identified in combination, we could eradicate 60% of cases of the disease.”
Professor Williams is a member of the new International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP), a consortium involving the UK, France and the USA which aims to build on this research and do larger studies with greater complexity. With gene sequencing becoming ever more affordable, it is hoped that this technology will drive forward this area at an even greater rate.
Professor Owen concluded:
“I’m delighted that the MRC is putting so much emphasis on supporting this area. Within our lifetimes, this work could lead directly to the development of preventative treatments against Alzheimer’s, which currently affects half a million people per year in the UK and costs our society more than heart disease and cancer combined. The MRC is committed to funding high-quality genetic studies that help us to understand individual predispositions to disease, and also to understanding mental health and wellbeing throughout life, so I’m very excited about the future of this project.”
Common Variant at ABCA7, MS4A6A/MS4A4E, EPHA1, CD33 and CD2AP are associated with Alzheimer’s disease is published in Nature Genetics. The research was funded by the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Welsh Assembly Government.
A profile of Professor Julie Williams is featured in the MRC Annual Review 2009-10, highlighting her previous research in this area and why she took up a career in research. Visit www.mrc.ac.uk/sevenages
