— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
UCI discovers new Alzheimer's gene
A UC Irvine study has found that a gene called TOMM40 appears twice as often in people with Alzheimer's disease than in those without it. Alzheimer's, for which there is no cure, is the leading cause of elderly dementia.
Having the harmful form of TOMM40 significantly increases one's susceptibility when other risk factors - such as having a gene called ApoE-4 - are present, the new study reports. People who have ApoE-4 are three to eight times more likely to develop Alzheimer's.
'The TOMM40 gene influences the ease with which molecules can get in and out of mitochondria, the energy production centre and stress mediator of cells. TOMM40 also processes materials that form amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer's,' said Dr Steven Potkin, lead author of the study and UCI psychiatry and human behaviour professor.
'With ageing, the number and function of mitochondria decrease, accompanied by a parallel increased risk of developing Alzheimer's,' he said. 'This study points to the use of mitochondrial-based therapies for treating the disease.'
The study will be published 7 August in the journal PLoS One.
Supporting the UCI discovery is research presented recently at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Austria. Duke University scientists found that patients with TOMM40 developed Alzheimer's an average of seven years earlier than those without the gene.
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Exercise critical to recovery after knee replacement
New pathway is a common thread in age-related neurodegenerative diseases
Discovery could lead to a new animal model for hepatitis C
Roadkill study could speed detection of kidney cancer