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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Study links gene to risk of getting Alzheimer’s

Malcolm Ritter Associated Press

NEW YORK – A huge international study 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 getting Alzheimer’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 one expert not involved in the work, Jonathan Haines of Vanderbilt University.

By shedding light on the biology of the illness, the discovery could help scientists find new treatments, he and other experts said.

The study, released Sunday on the Web site of the journal Nature Genetics, focused on Alzheimer’s that appears after age 65, the most common type.

Only one gene, called APOE, has been firmly linked to raising susceptibility to the common form.

Experts familiar with the new work said SORL1 is probably involved in Alzheimer’s, but they cautioned that it will be important for other scientists to confirm that. “People will jump on it pretty fast,” said Rudy Tanzi, of Harvard Medical School.

Gerard Schellenberg, of the University of Washington, said the paper’s evidence is “pretty solid, so I’m optimistic that it will be replicated.”