According to a recent study scientists have discovered genes linked to Alzheimer's disease that could provide new insights for the treatment of the disease, says a recent study.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a new set of genetic markers for Alzheimer's that shows a second pathway for the development of the disease.
Much of the genetic research on Alzheimer’s is based on amyloid-beta, a key component of brain plaques responsible to build up in the brains of people suffering from the disease.
The scientists identified many genes related to the tau protein present in the tangles, which develop in the brain as with the progress of the disease and eventually leads to dementia.
The useful findings of the study could help provide a new way for another class of drugs that could be used for treatment, reports Science Daily.
The researchers report their findings in the online April 24 issue of the journal Neuron.
"We measured the tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid and identified several genes that are related to high levels of tau and also affect risk for Alzheimer's disease," said senior investigator Alison M. Goate, D.Phil, the Samuel and Mae S. Ludwig Professor of Genetics in Psychiatry.
"As far as we're aware, three of these genes have no effect on amyloid-beta, suggesting that they are operating through a completely different pathway," the researchers said.
-With inputs from IANS
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