Alzheimer's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Alzheimer's Disease, including details on diagnosis, memory loss, heredity, treatment, medication.

A TAP2 genotype associated with Alzheimer's disease in APOE4 carriers.

Bullido MJ, Martínez-García A, Artiga MJ, Aldudo J, Sastre I, Gil P, Coria F, Muñoz DG, Hachinski V, Frank A, Valdivieso F

Departamento de Biología Molecular and Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (C.S.I.C.-U.A.M.), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.

Sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) appears to be the consequence of the interaction between combinations of genes and environmental factors. Binding with the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) is thought to be the main way in which herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) evades immune surveillance. Several TAP gene polymorphisms were examined and a TAP2 SNP (rs241448) associated with AD found in two independent case-control samples, especially in carriers of the APOE4 allele. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that human genetic variants facilitating the access of HSV-1 to the brain might result in susceptibility to AD.

Published 26 February 2007 in Neurobiol Aging, 28(4): 519-23.
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