Researchers explore link between ‘Alzheimer’s gene’ and COVID-19

Astrocyte
This is an astrocyte, labeled with GFAP (red), Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) green, and nuclear stain To-Pro (blue). Credit: Nathan S. Ivey at TNPRC. Via Wikipedia.

A City of Hope-led research team found that the same gene that increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, ApoE4, can increase the susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19.

“Our study provides a causal link between the Alzheimer’s disease risk factor ApoE4 and COVID-19 and explains why some (e.g., ApoE4 carriers) but not all COVID-19 patients exhibit neurological manifestations” said Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., director of the Division of Stem Cell Biology at City of Hope and co-corresponding author of the…

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