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Global Research Team Discovers New Alzheimer’s Risk Gene

By Guest PostNovember 20, 2012Healthalzheimer's disease, data, disease, emerging theory, environmental factors, eric karran, function, genetic, genetic mutation, genetic risk, genetic variants, health secretary, immune system, injury, institute, jeremy hunt, john hardy, key area, neurology, r47h, risk, rita guerreiro, specific mutation, trem2 gene, ucl, variant

Scientists have discovered a rare genetic mutation that increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

The international team, led by researchers at the UCL Institute of Neurology, studied data from more than 25,000 people and found a link between a rare variant of the TREM2 gene – which is known to play a role in the immune system – and a higher risk of Alzheimer’s.

The paper, which is published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has major implications for our understanding of the causes of Alzheimer’s and the authors believe it is potentially the most influential gene discovery for the disease in the last two decades. (more…)

Knowledge of Genetic Cancer Risks Often Dies with Patients, Finds VCU Massey Cancer Center

Richmond, Va. – If you were dying from cancer, would you consider genetic testing? A recent study conducted by

researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center showed that most terminally ill cancer patients who were eligible for genetic testing never received it despite that it could potentially save a relative’s life.

The research, “Exploring Hereditary Cancer Among Dying Cancer Patients—A Cross-Sectional Study of Hereditary Risk and Perceived Awareness of DNA Testing and Banking,” was recently published in the Journal of Genetic Counseling, and is the first to document the prevalence of hereditary cancer risk and the need for genetic services and patient education among terminally ill cancer patients. (more…)

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Global Research Team Discovers New Alzheimer’s Risk Gene

Knowledge of Genetic Cancer Risks Often Dies with Patients, Finds VCU Massey Cancer Center