2nd February 2012 Study rules-out family genes in late-onset
Alzheimer's disease. Specific genes known to be one of the
causes of a rare type of Alzheimer’s, which runs in families,
are unlikely to contribute to the more common form of the
disease, University scientists have uncovered. A team of
scientists from the University’s MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric
Genetics and Genomics and Neuroscience and Mental Health
Research Institute examined three genes APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2
known to cause uncommon early onset forms of Alzheimer’s. The
team sought to establish whether common genetic variation within
these genes confer risk to the more frequent form of
Alzheimer’s, which occurs later in life in people aged over 65.
Dr Amy Gerrish, School of Medicine, who led the research, said:
“We tested single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at APP, PSEN1,
PSEN2 as well as MAPT, a gene linked to Alzheimer’s pathology
for association with common Alzheimer’s in a large case-control
sample consisting of 3,940 cases and 13,373 c