Scientists begin to uncover the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease

A gene variant called APOE4 significantly increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Now, new research reveals the true role of APOE4 in this disease, and a new study identifies a possible way to treat it.

Historically, scientists who study Alzheimer’s disease focused on two proteins that accumulate in patients’ brains: beta-amyloid and tau protein. However, there is a “third thing that people haven’t paid attention to until recently,” said the study co-author. Li Huei Tsaineuroscientist at MIT. That third thing is the buildup of fat droplets, or lipids, in the brain, she told Live Science.