Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly and recently scientists have new information about the complex genetic signature associated with this disease. Previous research has shown that Apolipoprotein E has been linked with AD, this gene isn't sufficient nor necessary in the cause of AD and so 50% of the genetic risk remains unexplained. A test was conducted with 492 AD patients and 498 control individuals. The test showed that single nucleotide polymorphisms, which is a variation pf a single nucleotide of DNA, were highly common in the individuals with AD.
A new association of Apolipoprotein E has now been identified with a SNP on chromosome 12q13. The SNP is close to the gene for the vitamin D receptor, which has previously been linked with memory performance. The region between this SNP and the vitamin D receptor is uncharacterized and so our SNP may play some sort of regulatory role. In addition to this four other regions of interest have been idetnified and validated several candidate genes that exhibited a promising genome-wide association with Alzheimer's disease.
Reference:
Science Daily, 5.1.09, “Scientists Make Strides Toward Defining Genetic Signature Of Alzheimer's Disease”, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081231130722.htm, [Date Accessed 24.3.09]
Steven Mohr (42009937)
