As the largest resource of information specific to women's brain health, we are sure you will find what you are looking for, and promise that you will discover new information.
Published on: February 4, 2015
by Bradley J. Fikes for U~T San Diego:
Alzheimer’s patients have brains with significantly more genetic variation than normal brain, including extra copies of a gene linked to the disease, according to a study led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute.
The finding may help scientists track down the mechanism that causes nearly all cases of Alzheimer’s, a mechanism that is not well understood. And with a better understanding of the mechanism, a treatment for Alzheimer’s might be developed, the scientists say.
A study led by TSRI professor Jerold Chun found that neurons in brains of Alzheimer’s patients had significantly more copies of fragments from chromosome 21, but not more whole chromosomes.
The fragments carry the gene for APP, or amyloid precursor protein, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s. Moreover, those with Down syndrome carry three copies of chromosome 21 throughout their body, and those with Down syndrome tend to develop Alzheimer’s as they age.
The Alzheimer’s brain cells also contain on average about 200 million extra base pairs, Chun said in a Wednesday interview. The researchers don’t know where that extra DNA is from.
Variations within the genetic makeup of a single organism is called genetic mosaicism. Its presence in people has only been appreciated in recent years. The traditional assumption has been that the great majority of cells in humans are genetically identical.
This is the first time DNA variation in individual neurons has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, said Chun, the study’s senior author. Chun is a professor at TSRI and at the institute’s Dorris Neuroscience Center. Diane M. Bushman and Gwendolyn E. Kaeser, of Chun’s lab, are the study’s co-first authors.
The study was published in the journal eLife. It examined post-mortem brains from 32 Alzheimer’s patients and 21 non-Alzheimer’s patients.
Source: http://bit.ly/1zhemOZ
The emerging science of epigenetics describes the way our lifestyle and environment influence our gene expression over time. This growing field of research is a hot topic right now because it has radically altered our...
They cleansed the rodents of retired cells. Over...
In 2012, almost one-third of the Canadian population provided care to family members or friends with long-term health conditions, primarily those linked to aging/frailty and forms of dementia. This number will only increase, placing more and...
The material presented through the Think Tank feature on this website is in no way intended to replace professional medical care or attention by a qualified practitioner. WBHI strongly advises all questioners and viewers using this feature with health problems to consult a qualified physician, especially before starting any treatment. The materials provided on this website cannot and should not be used as a basis for diagnosis or choice of treatment. The materials are not exhaustive and cannot always respect all the most recent research in all areas of medicine.
