MGMT gene can develop proteins in women that can block or disrupt brain activity, leading to cognitive decline
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Boston University School of Medicine found that the MGMT has a strong connection to Alzheimer's and can also increase the risk of dementia in old age.
To conduct the study, scientists analysed two different population samples. The population sample involved an extended family of Hutterites, which consists of a small gene pool of European ancestry, now settled in America’s Midwest.
The Hutterites most likely have the APOE ε4 allele gene variant which can increase the risk of Alzheimer's, according toStudy Finds.
The second group involved 10,340 women who lacked the APOE ε4 allelem. Scientists tried to examine whether there was an association between dementia and breast cancer.
After proving this connection, researchers analysed the MGMT gene and found that the gene can significantly repair DNA damage but also develop proteins in women that can block or disrupt brain activity, leading to cognitive decline.
“This finding is particularly robust because it was discovered independently in two distinct populations using different approaches,” said senior author Lindsay Farrer, PhD, chief of biomedical genetics at BUSM, in a media release.