[Folding@home] Simulating apoE variants to understand their role in Alzheimer’s Disease

[BOINC_News]

Contributed by Justin Miller, Bowman Lab Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a dementia characterized by loss of memory and cognitive abilities, afflicts over an estimated 44 million people worldwide. While recent clinical trials have been exciting and suggest that slowing Alzheimer’s disease progression is possible, there are currently no FDA approved prophylactics or cures for Alzheimer’s disease. Given the lack of treatment options and the aging global population, the number of people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease is only expected to grow. The strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is the lipid transporter protein, apolipoprotein E, or apoE. Three variants of apoE are widespread in the global population and each carries a different risk for AD. apoE3 is the most common and carries a neutral risk, whereas carriers of the variant apoE4 are 12-15 fold more likely to develop AD. Carriers of the final variant, apoE2, are about half as likely as apoE3 carriers...

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