This news article on Alzheimer’s genetic discoveries may be of interest here. About 30% of PSP co-occurs with Alzheimer’s pathology.
Given the sharply falling costs of genetics technology, it’s possible to do large-scale genome-wide association studies for not too much money. This article talks about a US study involving genes from 54K people with Alzheimer’s Disease and age-matched controls. The lead investigator is Dr. Gerard Schellenberg, who is the lead investigator of an important GWAS done in PSP. The Schellenberg-led team discovered four new genes with a role in AD. Previously researchers had known about six genes, including APOE4, which was discovered in 1995. “APOE, a cholesterol metabolism gene that can increase risk by 400 percent if a person inherits one copy and 1,000 percent if a person inherits a copy from each parent. In contrast, each of the new genes increases risk by no more than 10 to 15 percent.”
“Meanwhile, [a] European group, led by Dr. Julie Williams of the School of Medicine at Cardiff University, was engaged in a similar effort. The two groups compared their results and were reassured, Dr. Schellenberg says, that they were pretty much finding the same genes.”
The next step is for the American team and the European team to collaborate, increasing the sample size. Dr. Schellenberg is sure that they will find more genes.
Note that this research is only made possible through brain donations.
I’ve copied a link to the article below.
Robin
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/healt … eimer.html
New Studies on Alzheimer’s Uncover Genetic Links
By Gina Kolata
Published: April 3, 2011
New York Times