Landmark study finds dozens of genes connected to Alzheimer's
NEW YORK -- A landmark study on Alzheimer's found dozens of additional genes connected to the development of the disease.
The findings could lead to early diagnosis and possible new treatments.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reports, researchers say they've identified 42 previously unknown genes linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's. While lifestyle choices like smoking, diet and exercise can factor into development of the disease, genes determine 60-80% of a person's risk.
Neurologist Dr. Ron Petersen is director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
"We've known for many years that Alzheimer's disease tends to run in families, and in a rare instance, there is a single gene that may cause that, but in most people, it's not due to a single gene. Yet there may be a combination of genes that actually pre-disposes an individual to develop Alzheimer's disease," Petersen said.
The study published in the journal "Nature Genetics" says scientists looked at genomes from more than 100,000 people globally who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's and compared them to over 600,000 healthy individuals.
Elizabeth Smith-Boivin is executive director of the Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York.
"It helps really pave the way for better understandings of the cause and then better ways to develop tools for early diagnosis and then all of that evidence put together allows us to create those robust treatments," she said.
"A study like this now outlines those individual genes that may ultimately end up being drug targets or therapeutic targets for intervention," Petersen said.
Smith-Boivin points out something else in the study.
"Perhaps one of the factors related to cause, if you will, of Alzheimer's disease is a flaw in the immune system. In other words, the immune system is not cleaning out or clearing out the brain of unnecessary materials," she said.
The study, they say, is another large step forward.
Petersen says work is currently being done to create easily accessible, blood-based bio-marker tests that give an index of who may have it or be at risk for developing Alzheimer's and dementia.