Four Genes Associated with AD and Counting--An E-mail Interview with Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop

Shari Al, BSc, MSc

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is defined as a disorder characterized by the progressive deterioration of mental function. Specific research into the genetics of this disease has recently uncovered several important details as to the pathology and progression of the disorder. These discoveries, in turn, may lead to improved diagnosis and/or treatment of AD, with obvious repercussions for clinicians. In the case of AD genetic heterogeneity and the discovery that variations at any one of several loci cause the same disease, initially made it difficult for researchers to progress. The table below summarizes the results of current genetic research showing which genes are linked to each specific type of AD, and the percentage of patients affected by each type.