Farid Rajabli, PhD, University of Miami, Miami, FL, shares novel data revealing an African ancestry-specific locus that reduces the effect of the ApoE ε4 allele in Alzheimer’s disease. It is well known that ApoEε4 is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, yet the expansion of recent genetic studies to wider populations has revealed that African descent populations have a lower risk from ApoEε4, compared to other populations. Local ancestry investigations in admixed populations have also shown that those who inherit the ApoEε4 allele with African local ancestry have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease than those who inherit it with European local ancestry. To gain insight into the mechanisms behind this protection, Dr Rajabli and colleagues looked at areas of the genome that interact with ApoEε4 in African ancestry. Data from over 6500 African Americans showed a significant interaction between ApoE ε4 and a nearby African-ancestry specific locus (rs10423769_A). The presence of this locus reduces the risk of ApoE ε4 for developing Alzheimer’s disease. This interview took place at the American Academy of Neurology 2022 Congress in Seattle, WA.
