Genes linked to dementia identified

A UCLA-led research team has identified genetic processes involved in the neurodegeneration that occurs in dementia – an important step on the path toward developing therapies that could slow or halt the course of the disease. The researchers discovered two major groups of genes involved in mutations that result in an overproduction of a protein called tau, a hallmark of the progressive loss of neurons seen in major forms of dementia. The study was largely done in mouse models of dementia, although the researchers performed additional experiments that indicated the same genetic process occurs in human brains. Armed with that knowledge, the team searched a large database of the genetic effects of experimental drugs to identify those that might alter this loss of neurons or neurodegeneration. In human cell cultures, the researchers showed that the use of these molecules interfered with neurodegeneration.