The magazine of the european research area European Commission Copenhagen, a missed chance?

Audrey Binet, Jean-Pierre Geets

(1)  Unless otherwise stated, all quotes are from Jean-Pascal 

van Ypersele.

(2)  See the article “The tools of diagnosis” in this issue.

 

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IN BRIEF

20 research

*

eu No. 63 | APRIL 2010

Genetic assault 

on Alzheimer’s

Two studies, the results of which 

are published jointly in Nature, 

have identified three new genes 

involved in Alzheimer’s disease. 

The first two, the gene for clusterin 

(CLU) and CR1, were identified 

by the team of Philippe Amouyel, 

professor of epidemiology and 

public health at the University 

of Lille 2 (FR). Mutations in these 

genes make it difficult to elimi-

nate beta amyloid, a peptide 

highly damaging to the nervous 

system, and which accumulates 

in patients’ brains. Any research 

leading to the elimination of the 

beta amyloid peptide represents 

therefore a potential avenue for 

treatment.

Simultaneously, a British team 

led by Julie Williams from the 

Alzheimer’s Research Trust (UK) 

also put its finger on the CLU 

gene and a third gene called 

PICALM. Using DNA microarrays, 

researchers have determined 

the expression levels of 20 000 

individuals, both healthy and 

sick. While these tests have 

revealed the involvement of 

the PICALM gene in the onset 

of this dementia, its precise role 

remains unclear.