Gene discovery could predict rate of Alzheimer's

An international team of Alzheimer's experts have identified a gene variation which could determine how quickly the disease develops after diagnosis. The study of 846 people focused on detecting a form of the protein tau and was led by the Washington University School of Medicine. The findings are to be published in PLoS Genetics.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'This new study is the first to link the activity of a gene and the amount of protein in the brain vulnerable to tangling. Tangles are a key feature of Alzheimer's disease which affects more than 460,000 people in the UK. Learning more about this gene may one day help scientists develop new treatments to slow the progression of the disease. Knowing how quickly Alzheimer's can progress will also be invaluable for future research.

'As the number of people with dementia rises almost exponentially we urgently need more research to help us care for people today and find a cure for tomorrow. However dementia research is desperately underfunded. We need greater investment if we are to tackle dementia head on.'

Ruth Sutherland
Interim Chief Executive
Alzheimer's Society

Reference: Ref: Cruchaga C, Kauwe JSK, Mayo K, Spiegel N, Bertelsen S, et al. (2010) SNPs Associated with Cerebrospinal Fluid Phospho-Tau Levels Influence Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Disease. PLoS Genet 6(9)