Scientists discover new gene behind Alzheimer's disease

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean scientists have identified a new gene
linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, a discovery that could help
reduce the number of people suffering the neurological disorder in the near
future, a local university said Thursday.
Seoul National University said a team led by Suh Yoo-hun, a professor of
medicine, isolated the S100a9 gene as an underlying cause of the irreversible
illness that affects countless numbers of mostly elderly people around the world.
The discovery is the first to link S100a9 with the disease.
"Suh's team used an advanced 'chip array method' that catches overly active gene
manifestation in dementia patients to find the S100a9," the school said.
The latest findings also showed that if small interfering RNA (SiRNA) are
injected into transgenic laboratory mice that are designed to have Alzheimer's,
it can stem the deterioration of brain cells in the animals.
The school said that SiRNA interferes in the formation of the S100a9 gene,
effectively slowing memory loss and other symptoms associated with the disease.
The discovery has been published in the latest issue of PLoS One, an
international, Internet-based peer-reviewed publication, and may have opened new
horizons on the treatment and eventual cure for Alzheimer's, the university said.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which provided funding for the
research, stressed that finding ways to cope with the disorder is crucial since
about 10 percent of people over 65 suffer from the disease and other types of
dementia. The rate rises to 50 percent for people over 85.
In South Korea alone there are an estimated 400,000-500,000 people suffering from
dementia, on par with the 430,000 people afflicted with cancer.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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