Researchers identify genetic factors that contribute to Alzheimer's disease

Unlike traditional AD research, this study focused on individual groups across specific on the cognitive spectrum [normal cognitive functioning or controls, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD cases]. As opposed to the typical study design which combines all such persons into a single group or focuses only on cognitively healthy persons, this research identified several novel genetic associations within multiple subgroups.

According to the researchers these associations are not evident when comparing AD cases to controls or within AD cases, suggesting that these signals underlie processes before onset of AD. As such, these genes may be more attractive targets for drug development because it is increasingly recognized that effective drugs will be those given to persons before or shortly after they develop cognitive impairment.

The researchers tested the association between AD-related brain MRI measures, logical memory test scores and CSF levels of two AD proteins (amyloid-beta and tau) with several million genetic markers (called SNPs) across the genome in a sample of 1,189 participants of the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) study. They then examined the biological significance of the top-ranked associated SNPs and genes using several datasets containing information about gene expression in parts of the brain most affected by AD.

Two of the study-wide significant genes identified in the normal cognitive functioning group, SRRM4 and MTUS1, are involved in neuronal signaling, development and loss. Another gene identified in this group, GRIN2B, encodes a subunit of a receptor that has roles in resilience of neurons and memory.

"Our findings provide important insight about biological mechanisms leading to Alzheimer disease, especially at stages of the disease before symptoms occur," says Lindsay A. Farrer, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Chief of the Biomedical Genetics section at Boston University School of Medicine, and principal investigator of the study. "The novel genes we identified may be potential targets for developing new treatments that might delay or even prevent onset of symptoms of this insidious disease."

These findings appear in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Funding for this study was provided in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01-AG048927, U01-AG032984, UF1-AG046198, and P30-AG13846. Data collection and sharing for this project was funded by the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; NIH Grant U01 AG024904). ADNI is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and through generous contributions from the following: Abbott; Alzheimer's Association; Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation; Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.; AstraZeneca; Bayer HealthCare; BioClinica, Inc.; Biogen Idec Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Eisai Inc.; Elan Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and its affiliated company Genentech, Inc.; GE Healthcare; Innogenetics, N.V.; Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, LLC.; Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC.; Medpace, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC.; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Pfizer Inc.; Servier; Synarc Inc.; and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is providing funds to support ADNI clinical sites in Canada. Private sector contributions are facilitated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health.