British scientists have uncovered five new genes for Alzheimer’s disease – providing vital clues about the development of the illness, it was announced last night.
At least nine UK universities were involved in the major study, which was led by Professor Julie Williams, of Cardiff University.
The findings show links to cholesterol and to the immune system in the development of the disease – and also provide new clues to the chemistry of Alzheimer’s.
Some 60,000 people were involved with the research, which has been published in Nature Genetics.
Professor Williams said: “This study, plus our previous studies, means that we are beginning to piece together the pieces of the jigsaw and gain new understanding. We still have a long way to go – but 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 proportion of people developing Alzheimer’s in the long-term.”
She explained: “What’s exciting is the genes we now know of – the five new ones, plus those previously identified – are clustering in patterns.
“So several genes are implicating the immune system, for example – and it’s telling us there’s something different about the immune system of people who go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease. So their immune response or inflammatory response within the brain is different in Alzheimer’s disease.
“Some of the genes are also implicating the processing of cholesterol and lipids in the brain as increasing the risk of developing the disease."
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of Alzheimer’s UK, welcomed the findings.
She said: "These findings are a step towards defeating dementia. We are yet to find ways of halting this devastating condition, but this work is likely to spark off new ideas, collaborations and more research."
Professor Kevin Morgan, of Nottingham University, who worked on the project, said: "Until now the genetics of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease have been poorly understood.
"We are now on the way to identifying all the genetic factors that contribute to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease."
He added: "This research is already spurring on additional research towards treatments based on specific genetic issues which contribute to the disease."
Common Variant at ABCA7, MS4A6A/MS4A4E, EPHA1, CD33 and CD2AP are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Nature Genetics April 3 2011
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