A new study in the UK revealed 42 genes having connections with an increased risk of having Alzheimer’s.
Genetic link to Alzheimer’s disease revealed
According to a new study, published in Nature Genetics, several genes were found linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The study, analyzing over 100,000 people with the disease in comparison to 600,000 healthy individuals revealed more about the human genetic makeup. “This study more than doubles the number of identified genes influencing risk for the more common form of Alzheimer’s disease,” stated Dr. Rebecca Sims. Dr. Sims is the co-lead of the study. Additionally, it showed a specific signaling pathway with TNF-alpha. The TNF-alpha is a protein playing a vital role in “inflammation and the immune system”, implicated in this disease.
Moreover, the study revealed “dysfunction of microglia, immune cells in the brain. They are responsible for eliminating toxic substances that contribute to disease pathology”. It is a breakthrough in understanding dementia. Studying how likely a person with cognitive impairment may develop the disease is very important. Moreover, the study can determine the incidence of Alzheimer’s three years after a patient starts showing the first symptoms.
Future scope of the study
Unfortunately, the study is not currently intended for clinical practice. However, the researchers are hoping that this will help in improving the evaluation of new drugs for clinical trials. They are also hoping to identify people with a greater risk of developing it. “This is a landmark study in the field of Alzheimer’s research and is the culmination of 30 years’ work,” stated Julie Williams. She is the co-author of the study and the director of Cardiff University’s UK Dementia Research Institute. While lifestyle factors increase risk, “60-80% of disease risk is based on our genetics and therefore we must continue to seek out the biological causes and develop much-needed treatments for the millions of people affected worldwide,” she added.
Additionally, they are also planning to identify people susceptible to the disease across wider demographics. Right now, the study is primarily focusing on Caucasians. The study involved genome samples from the EU, the UK, New Zealand, Argentina, the US, Iceland, Brazil, Canada, Brazil, and Australia.