The News
Gene linked to chance of Alzheimer's
By Malcolm Ritter The Associated Press
Article Last Updated: 01/14/2007 11:13:59 PM MST

New York - An international study out Sunday has identified a gene that apparently can raise the risk of developing the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that may help scientists develop new treatments. Scientists analyzed DNA from more than 6,000 people from a variety of ethnic groups and found evidence implicating certain versions of the gene, called SORL1. It's too soon to tell how much those gene versions raise the risk of Alzhei mer's or what percentage of cases they account for, the researchers said. They said the effect on risk appears to be modest. Still, if the finding is confirmed by other scientists, it would be "a very substantial step forward in our understanding of the genetics of Alzheimer's disease," said Jonathan Haines of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., an expert not involved in the work.

The Research
Read the research behind this story in Nature Genetics.