Newly-Discovered Gene Variant Could Help Prevent or Treat Alzheimer's Disease from columbia pictures logo Watch Video

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✓ Published: 11-Apr-2024

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Newly-Discovered Gene Variant , Could Help Prevent or Treat , Alzheimer's Disease.<br/>'Newsweek' reports that scientists have uncovered <br/>a genetic variant that has the potential to reduce <br/>the odds of developing Alzheimer's by as much as 70%.<br/>The discovery could reportedly lead to new methods to <br/>effectively treat or prevent the disease which impacts <br/>approximately 5.8 million people in the United States alone.<br/>Some genetic variants have been found to have an <br/>association with an increased likelihood of developing <br/>the disease, while other variants offer protection. .<br/>A team from Columbia University found that <br/>genes involved with the production of fibronectin <br/>play a crucial role in developing Alzheimer's.<br/>Healthy individuals usually only have fibronectin present <br/>in small amounts along their blood-brain barrier, while <br/>those with Alzheimer's have much higher quantities.<br/>It's a classic case of too much <br/>of a good thing. It made us think <br/>that excess fibronectin could be <br/>preventing the clearance of [abnormal <br/>protein clumps] from the brain, Caghan Kizil, co-leader of the study and professor of <br/>neurological sciences at Columbia University's Vagelos <br/>College of Physicians and Surgeons, via 'Newsweek'.<br/>The team believes that methods aimed at reducing <br/>fibronectin could play a crucial role in developing <br/>new treatments and preventative measures. .<br/>Anything that reduces excess <br/>fibronectin should provide some <br/>protection, and a drug that does <br/>this could be a significant step <br/>forward in the fight against <br/>this debilitating condition, Caghan Kizil, co-leader of the study and professor of <br/>neurological sciences at Columbia University's Vagelos <br/>College of Physicians and Surgeons, via 'Newsweek'.<br/>Our findings suggest that...<br/>we may be able to develop new <br/>types of therapies that mimic <br/>the gene's protective effect <br/>to prevent or treat the disease, Caghan Kizil, co-leader of the study and professor of <br/>neurological sciences at Columbia University's Vagelos <br/>College of Physicians and Surgeons, via 'Newsweek'.<br/>The Columbia University team's <br/>findings were published in the <br/>journal 'Acta Neuropathologica.'