LI researcher eyes genetics of Alzheimer's

Renowned Long Island Alzheimer's researcher Peter Davies is embarking on an ambitious project to decipher the genetics of people with Alzheimer's disease in an effort to better explain why the disorder occurs and who is most at risk.

Davies, director of the Litwin-Zucker Research Center for The Study of Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders in Manhasset, has unofficially dubbed his investigation the equivalent of a human genome project for Alzheimer's disease.

"We are planning to sequence the entire genome of hopefully 1,000 Alzheimer's patients over the next three to four years and will start with about 130 individuals," said Davies, whose center is affiliated with the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

"What we want to know are the variants in the DNA sequences in the development of Alzheimer's disease," added Davies, whose work helped lead to the current stable of FDA-approved Alzheimer's medications.

"We don't generally think of Alzheimer's as a genetic disorder, but all diseases are to some extent genetic because your susceptibility to a disease is governed by your genes and the interaction of your genes with your environment," added Davies. "Breast cancer is a good example of what I mean by this."

Alzheimer's is a major public health concern that affects 5.4 million people in the United States and could afflict as many as 16 million by 2050 if no cure is found.

Developing a full genetic picture of the disorder, Davies said, can help steer scientists in the direction of effective treatments -- and possibly even prevention.

He and his gene-seeking colleagues will begin their hunt with brain tissue from autopsy specimens, tracking down DNA sequences -- snippets of genetic code -- that these individuals had in common. They will also seek out novel Alzheimer's-related genes and nuances of genetic difference in Alzheimer's-related coding.

Some of the genes associated with Alzheimer's have been known for years. Since 1994, for example, scientists have been well aware of APOE-4, a gene that codes for a cholesterol-carrying molecule, but also serves as a marker for late-onset Alzheimer's, a disease that begins after age 65.

A positive APOE-4 test means an elevated risk for the disease, not that Alzheimer's is inevitable, experts say.

Davies, whose work is being conducted in conjunction with the newly formed New York Genome Center in Manhattan, also wants to search for genes among people with marked longevity who never develop dementia.

"We know there are some people who are not susceptible to Alzheimer's and who make it to 100 with all their marbles," Davies said. "So there's something in their genes that protects them from Alzheimer's. We want to find those variants, too."

Mary Ann Malack-Ragona, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association of Long Island, applauded Davies for his innovative work.

"We really have to get our arms around this," Malack-Ragona said of Alzheimer's disease. "The cost for folks with Alzheimer's is skyrocketing and it's now the sixth-leading cause of death in the country.

"And of all the killers out there this is the only one that can't be stopped, slowed down or cured."