January 10, 2014

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Uncover Mechanism of Genetic Mutations Known To Cause Familial Alzheimer’s Disease



New Study Pinpoints Structural Effects of V44M and V44A Mutations

New research, led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researcher Chunyu Wang, has solved one mystery in the development of Familial Alzheimer’s Disease (FAD), a genetic variant of the disease that affects a small fraction of the Alzheimer’s population. In a paper published January 6 in the journal Nature Communications, Wang and his team follow the trail of two genetic mutations – V44M and V44A – known to cause FAD, and show how the mutations lead to biochemical changes long linked to the disease.