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.

Insulin-degrading enzyme is genetically associated with Alzheimer's disease in the Finnish population.

Vepsäläinen S, Parkinson M, Helisalmi S, Mannermaa A, Soininen H, Tanzi RE, Bertram L, Hiltunen M

The gene for insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), which is located at chromosome 10q24, has been previously proposed as a candidate gene for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on its ability to degrade amyloid beta-protein. Genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IDE gene in Finnish patients with AD and controls revealed SNPs rs4646953 and rs4646955 to be associated with AD, conferring an approximately two-fold increased risk. Single locus findings were corroborated by the results obtained from haplotype analyses. This suggests that genetic alterations in or near the IDE gene may increase the risk for developing AD.

Published 3 September 2007 in J Med Genet, 44(9): 606-8.
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