A new gene, sortilin-related receptor SORL1, is joining the ranks of other genes scientists have associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease, thanks to a report in this week's Nature Genetics. Many of the two dozen genes already linked to the disease have disappointed researchers by demonstrating inconsistent correlation across data sets, sparking debate over the significance of the latest findings. Still, some scientists are optimistic. "The main difference is the size of the study [linking SORL1 to Alzheimer's], the replication, and the diversity of the sample," Creighton Phelps, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Centers Program at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), told The Scientist. The NIA funded a portion of the study, but Phelps was not involved in the study. The project, which included teams from Columbia University, the University of Toronto, and Boston University, sampled over 6,000 participants from seven data sets and four ethnic...
amyloid beta peptideSORL1pathwayAllen LeveyThe ScientistshowedLindsay FarrerThe ScientistAPOERudolph Tanzimeta-analysisNature GeneticsAPOEThe ScientistSORL1AlzGeneSORLAPOESORL1SORL1SORL1kgrens@the-scientist.comNature Geneticshttp://www.nature.com/ng/index.htmlhttp://www.nia.nih.govThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/15006The Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/15596http://neurology.emory.edu/Faculty/Levey.htmArchives of Neurologyhttp://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/8/1200http://www.bu.edu/alzresearch/team/faculty/farrer.htmlThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/24105http://www.hms.harvard.edu/dms/neuroscience/fac/tanzi.htmlNature Geneticshttp://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v39/n1/abs/ng1934.htmlhttp://www.alzforum.org/res/com/gen/alzgene/default.asp
Interested in reading more?
Become a Member of
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
