A team of European scientists has discovered the first genetic variant for multiple sclerosis (MS) that is specifically active in neurons (Aulchenko YS et al. Nat Genet. 10.1038/ng.251 [published online ahead of print November 9, 2008]).
Variants that increase the risk of MS had previously been identified, in genes that affect immune function—not surprising in light of compelling evidence of autoimmunity's role in MS. However, studies also have suggested that neurodegenerative processes play a role in disease progression.
Some of the researchers had found evidence in an earlier study of a genetically isolated Dutch population that linked MS with a variant in KIF1B, a gene that encodes a member of a family of proteins involved in transport of cellular components along axons. The link was confirmed in the current genomewide association study, which involved individuals from the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium—2634 with MS and 2930 . . . [Full Text of this Article]
