12 Sep The burden of a gene

By Jocelyn Kaiser, Science

The 1993 discovery of APOE4’s role in Alzheimer’s seemed to promise key insights into the roots of the mystifying disease, and perhaps a new target for treatment. But progress has been slow. The protein that APOE encodes, apolipoprotein E (ApoE), has many roles in the brain, making it hard to tease apart which are relevant to the development of disease and why certain APOE variants affect risk. But scientists may finally be gaining traction. New insights into APOE’s effects, as well as a wave of studies on rare protective versions, are fueling interest in potential therapies that would counter APOE4’s harms. Read more …