New Alzheimer’s risk genes discovered in record study

In the largest ever study of its kind, an international collaboration of scientists, jointly led by Cardiff, has uncovered 11 new susceptibility genes linked with Alzheimer's disease. This major breakthrough will significantly advance scientists' knowledge of Alzheimer's. It throws open new research avenues and enables a better understanding of the disease's disordered functional processes. Published today and undertaken by the International Genomics Project (IGAP), the work details 11 new regions of the genome involved in the onset of this neurodegenerative condition. The research, part-funded by the Medical Research Council, the Welsh Government and Alzheimer's Research UK, builds on the genome-wide association analysis study that has since 2009 discovered 10 genes known to be associated with Alzheimer's. "This discovery will pinpoint new mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease," said Professor Julie Williams, Head of Neurodegeneration at the School of Medicine's Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre on Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, who led one of four global research consortia. "By combining the expertise and resources of geneticists across the globe, we have been able to overcome our natural competitive instincts to achieve a real breakthrough in identifying the genetic architecture that significantly contributes to our mapping of the disease.