Dr. Kathy Evans recently received a Chief Scientist Office award to study the link between the SORT1 gene and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia. The mechanisms that lead to the death of neurons (nerve cells) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are not yet fully understood. However, it is known that mutations (harmful changes) in the DNA of certain genes increase a person's risk for Alzheimer's disease. One such gene is SORT1, which is responsible for the production of a protein called sortilin. This study is being conducted in collaboration with Professor Neil Carragher (IGC) and Dr. Matthew White (King's College, London). It will highlight the differences between human neurons with mutated and normal SORT1 and test thousands of drugs to find those that restore neurons with mutated SORT1 to health. In the longer term, we hope that this work will lead to the development of drugs that reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Dr Kathy Evans This study will increase our understanding of the role of sortilin in neurons. In the longer term it may lead to the development of drugs that may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Dr Kathy Evans Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine Related Links Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine Chief Scientist Office Kathy Evans research page Neil Carragher research page Matthew White research page This article was published on 2022-11-03
