New risk gene illuminates Alzheimer's disease

A team of international scientists has isolated a gene thought to play a causal role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The newly identified gene affects accumulation of amyloid-beta, a protein believed to be one of the main causes of the damage that underpins this brain disease in humans. The gene encodes a protein that is important for intracellular transportation. This breakthrough in Alzheimer's research could open new avenues for the design of therapeutics and pave the way for early...