Dementia

Neurodegeneration-Causing Gene in Dementia Is Identified

Two major groups of genes that are involved in the neurodegeneration that occurs in dementia have been identified in a new study1—an important step in the development of therapies that could slow or stop the disease’s development.

 

The 2 gene groups that were discovered are involved in mutations that cause an overproduction of τ proteins, which are associated with the progressive loss of neurons many patients with dementia experience.

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The finding comes after a University of California, Los Angeles, research team studied dementia in mice.

 

The researchers analyzed the mutation caused by frontotemporal dementia in 3 genetically distinct strains of mice, evaluating the genetic activity occurring in different parts of a degenerating brain, at different points of time.

 

The researchers determined that, in all 3 mouse models, 2 gene clusters were associated with neurodegeneration across susceptible regions of the brain.

To test whether the same genetic process occurs in human brains, the researchers searched a large database of the genetic effects of experimental drugs to identify those that might alter the same loss of neurons. The researchers found that the use of those molecules interfered with neurodegeneration.

 

“Our study is the most comprehensive published effort to date to identify the source of neurodegeneration across species and provides an important roadmap for the development of potentially effective new drugs for Alzheimer disease and other dementia,” said Dr Daniel Geschwind, the study’s senior author. “There is still a significant amount of work that needs to be done to develop drugs that could be effectively used in humans against these targets, but this is an encouraging step.”2 

—Colleen Murphy

 

References:

  1. Swarup V, Hinz FI, Rexach JE, et al. Identification of evolutionarily conserved gene networks mediating neurodegenerative dementia [published online December 3, 2018]. Nature Med. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-018-0223-3.
  2. UCLA researchers discover genes tied to dementia in key early step toward new therapies [press release]. Los Angeles, CA: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences; December 3, 2018. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-gene-link-dementia-key-step-toward-new-therapies.  Accessed December 5, 2018.