Researchers find genetic cause for Alzheimer's, possible method to reverse it
Scientists at an independent biomedical research institution have reported a monumental breakthrough: The cause of the primary genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, and a possible cure for the disease.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco identified the primary genetic risk factor for the disease, a gene called apoE4. They were able to create a harmless apoE3-like version by inserting a class of compounds into it.
Their findings were published this week in the journal Nature Medicine.
"Drug development for Alzheimer's disease has been largely a disappointment over the past 10 years," Huang said in a press release. "Many drugs work beautifully in a mouse model, but so far they've all failed in clinical trials. One concern within the field has been how poorly these mouse models really mimic human disease." Huang used human cells to model the disease and test new drugs.
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Researchers find genetic cause for Alzheimer’s, possible method to reverse it – UPI.com Researchers have discovered the cause of the primary genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and a possible cure for the disease. |