Alzheimer's disease & genes
* Researchers have reported new findings
concerning the increased
risk of Alzheimer's disease among people who inherit mutations
in the presenilin genes.
- note: an estimated 40% of people with familial Alzheimer's
disease have presenilin gene mutations.
- researchers at Harvard Medical School report that alterations
made in the presenilin-1 gene in cultured laboratory cells
resulted in the inhibition of beta-amyloid precursor protein
and in lower levels of amyloid-beta protein, which forms
the brain lesions found in Alzheimer's patients.
- authors say the findings suggest that presenilin may be
the long-sought enzyme that is responsible for the overproduction
of beta-amyloid in Alzheimer's patients.
- the findings are in the journal Nature (1999;398:466-467).