Cracking the code: understanding genetic control of immune responses in Alzheimer’s disease

Key hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are harmful protein deposition and persistent inflammation in the brain. The gene variant APOE-ε4 greatly increases the risk of developing AD, yet it is unclear how this gene variant changes the brains immune responses. This research focuses on epigenetics, the system that regulates gene activity without changing the underlying DNA sequence. By using advanced sequencing and stem-cell models, this project will clarify how APOE-ε4 changes gene activity in brain immune cells. These findings will lead to a better understanding of epigenetic processes driving harmful immune responses in AD and may help to reverse them.