Neurológia pre prax 1/2025
The genetics of Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies
The genetics of neurodegenerative dementias is a turbulent topic. On the one hand, the number of genes involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative processes is gradually increasing, on the other hand, the problem of interpretation of the results is emerging. Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) represent currently well-defined clinical entities. AD has clearly defined causal genes (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2) and a major susceptibility gene (APOE). In addition to these, new susceptibility genes are gradually emerging that modify the clinical picture, the age of onset and, together with APOE, create a complicated genetic background. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a more heterogeneous entity than Alzheimer's disease, both clinically and genetically. DLB susceptibility genes are multiple genes shared with Alzheimer`s disease, Parkinson disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and other neurodegenerations. In our paper, we aim to summarize the genetic background of both AD and DLB, to characterize their similarities and differences, and to highlight the complexity of the neurodegenerative ecosystem („neurodegeneratome“).
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, apolipoprotein E, dementia with Lewy bodies
