Title | Genetic evidence implicates the immune system and cholesterol metabolism in the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2010 |
Authors | Jones, L, Holmans, PA, Hamshere, ML, Harold, D, Moskvina, V, Ivanov, D, Pocklington, A, Abraham, R, Hollingworth, P, Sims, R, Gerrish, A, Pahwa, JSingh, Jones, N, Stretton, A, Morgan, AR, Lovestone, S, Powell, J, Proitsi, P, Lupton, MK, Brayne, C, Rubinsztein, DC, Gill, M, Lawlor, B, Lynch, A, Morgan, K, Brown, KS, Passmore, PA, Craig, D, McGuinness, B, Todd, S, Holmes, C, Mann, D, A Smith, D, Love, S, Kehoe, PG, Mead, S, Fox, N, Rossor, M, Collinge, J, Maier, W, Jessen, F, Schürmann, B, Heun, R, Kölsch, H, van den Bussche, H, Heuser, I, Peters, O, Kornhuber, J, Wiltfang, J, Dichgans, M, Frölich, L, Hampel, H, Hüll, M, Rujescu, D, Goate, AM, Kauwe, JSK, Cruchaga, C, Nowotny, P, Morris, JC, Mayo, K, Livingston, G, Bass, NJ, Gurling, H, McQuillin, A, Gwilliam, R, Deloukas, P, Al-Chalabi, A, Shaw, CE, Singleton, AB, Guerreiro, R, Mühleisen, TW, Nöthen, MM, Moebus, S, Jöckel, K-H, Klopp, N, Wichmann, H-E, Rüther, E, Carrasquillo, MM, V Pankratz, S, Younkin, SG, Hardy, J, O'Donovan, MC, Owen, MJ, Williams, J |
Journal | PLoS One |
Volume | 5 |
Issue | 11 |
Pagination | e13950 |
Date Published | 2010 |
ISSN | 1932-6203 |
Keywords | Alzheimer Disease, Apolipoproteins E, Cholesterol, Chromosome Mapping, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome, Human, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Immune System, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide |
Abstract | BACKGROUND: Late Onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) is the leading cause of dementia. Recent large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified the first strongly supported LOAD susceptibility genes since the discovery of the involvement of APOE in the early 1990s. We have now exploited these GWAS datasets to uncover key LOAD pathophysiological processes. METHODOLOGY: We applied a recently developed tool for mining GWAS data for biologically meaningful information to a LOAD GWAS dataset. The principal findings were then tested in an independent GWAS dataset. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found a significant overrepresentation of association signals in pathways related to cholesterol metabolism and the immune response in both of the two largest genome-wide association studies for LOAD. SIGNIFICANCE: Processes related to cholesterol metabolism and the innate immune response have previously been implicated by pathological and epidemiological studies of Alzheimer's disease, but it has been unclear whether those findings reflected primary aetiological events or consequences of the disease process. Our independent evidence from two large studies now demonstrates that these processes are aetiologically relevant, and suggests that they may be suitable targets for novel and existing therapeutic approaches. |
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0013950 |
Alternate Journal | PLoS ONE |
PubMed ID | 21085570 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC2981526 |
Grant List | G0300429 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom G0600974 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom G0601846 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom G0701075 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom G0900688 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom MC_U123160651 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom MC_U123192748 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom Z01 AG000950-06 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom / / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom |