BOSTON - March 2, 2005 - Researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders (MIND) have identified a gene variant that may increase the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. In the March 3 New England Journal of Medicine they report that specific changes in the gene for a protein called ubiquilin-1 are associated with an increased incidence of Alzheimer's in two large study samples. The discovery could lead to improved understanding of the disease mechanism and a new target for the development of preventive and treatment strategies.
