Systems Genetics of Cognitive Aging: The Use of the BXD Murine Reference Panel to Identify the Genetic Modifiers of Memory Funct
Dr. Kaczorowski believes it is likely that individual genetic differences strongly influence the risk and severity of the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). With the support from the New Investigator Award, she will be developing a new mouse model using a strategy to identify genes that cause or worsen memory decline in aging and the most common form of Alzheimer’s Disease. Identifying these genes have been difficult to explain in human studies because of large and uncontrollable differences in genetic and environmental factors.
There is currently a lack of adequate tools to determine the genetic differences in the most common form of AD. The study will use mouse strains that integrate genetic complexity yet control environmental factors in order to identify genetic modifiers of cognitive aging. If individual variants that lead to elevated risk for dementia can be discovered, it will help physicians identify those patients who are at increased risk and intervene earlier in disease progression. This may also provide new targets for the development of therapeutics designed for earlier and more effective treatment of dementia.