New research provides key insight into Alzheimer’s disease risk across populations
Posted on: Saturday, February 8th, 2025
Researchers at UT Health San Antonio have identified a genetic factor that may contribute to the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which affects about 7 million Americans and is expected to nearly double by 2050. Early detection and treatment can help preserve brain function and slow disease progression.
The study, led by Liang Ma, PhD, and published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, discovered a specific protein-coding transcript linked to Alzheimer’s disease across all genetic types of apolipoprotein E (APOE). APOE has variants ε2, ε3, and ε4, with ε4 increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s, though not everyone with this allele will develop the disease.
Ma’s team analyzed brain samples from over 1,000 individuals of European and African ancestry, focusing on the prefrontal cortex. They found that gene expression changes and polymorphisms were consistent across both ancestries, suggesting common risk factors. This discovery could lead to new treatments targeting the disease’s underlying mechanisms, improving prevention and management strategies for Alzheimer’s.
“This discovery not only enhances our comprehension of [APOE] function in the brain but also paves the way for novel research avenues into the underlying mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Agustin Ruiz, MD, PhD, co-investigator and professor at the Biggs Institute. “Deciphering the physiological role of this transcript and its potential contribution to disease progression is a current challenge that holds promise for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies.”
Read the article at UT Health San Antonio’s Newsroom.