The Evolution of Genetics: Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases.

ABSTRACT: Genetic discoveries underlie the majority of the current thinking in neurodegenerative disease. This work has been driven by the significant gains made in identifying causal mutations; however, the translation of genetic causes of disease into pathobiological understanding remains a challenge. The application of a second generation of genetics methods allows the dissection of moderate and mild genetic risk factors for disease. This requires new thinking in two key areas: what constitutes proof of pathogenicity, and how do we translate these findings to biological understanding. Here we describe the progress and ongoing evolution in genetics. We describe a view that rejects the tradition that genetic proof has to be absolute before functional characterization and centers on a multi-dimensio

SUBMITTER: Singleton A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4936485 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature