New Alzheimer'€™s gene identified

Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute, Banner Alzheimer'€™s Institute and Kronos Science Laboratory identified a new Alzheimer's gene called GAB2 that could modify an individual’s risk when associated with the most significant Alzheimer’s gene, APOE4. The study contributed to the genome-wide scans that analyzed GAB2 using Affymetrix microarray technology. The findings showed that the GAB2 protein produced by this gene was present in brain cells containing tangles. "We hope that this study, along with the genome-wide genetics studies to come, will contribute to the clarification of Alzheimer's risk factors and disease mechanisms, the discovery of promising new disease-slowing and prevention therapies, and the identification of patients and at-risk people most likely to benefit from those treatments," said Dr. Eric Reiman, executive director of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute.

Researchers at Medivation Inc. found that the drug Dimebon, previously launched in Russia as an antihistamine drug, was more effective than placebo in treating Alzheimer'€™s disease. The results of the study suggested that Dimebon could be beneficial to alleviate symptoms and prevent progression of the disease. The drug showed cognition and memory-enhancing properties that selectively destroyed cholinergic neurons. The study involved drug trials with 183 patients and was conducted at multiple sites in Russia. "These are the best data that a phase II Alzheimer's study has ever shown€," said Dr. Rachelle S. Doody, lead author of the study, Baylor College of Medicine. A phase III clinical trial of the drug is set for next year.

A study at DiaGenic, a biotech company in Oslo, Norway, found that certain blood tests and brain scans could detect symptoms of Alzheimer'€™s disease. The findings of the study, headed by Anders Lonneborg, identified a set of 96 genes that look different in the blood sample of Alzheimer'€™s patients when compared to those without the disease. The company is awaiting approval of the test by regulators in the United States and Europe.

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