The research team also discovered that although the triplets were
octogenarians at the time of the study, the biological age of their cells was
6 to 10 years younger than their chronological age. In contrast, one of the
triplet's children, who developed early onset Alzheimer's, had a biological
age that was nine years older than the chronological age. The other child,
who did not have dementia, of the same triplet showed a biological age that
was close to their actual age.
"The latest genetics research is finding that the DNA we die with isn't
necessarily what we received as a baby, which could relate to why two
of the triplets developed Alzheimer's and one didn't," says Dr. Ekaterina
Rogaeva, another senior author on the paper and researcher at the
University of Toronto's Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative
Diseases. "As we age, our DNA ages with us and as a result, some cells
could mutate and change over time."
In addition, there are other chemical factors or environmental factors that
don't necessarily change the gene itself, but affect how these genes are
expressed, adds Dr. Freedman, who is also a professor in the Division of
Neurology, Department of Medicine, at the University of Toronto.
As next steps, the researchers aim to further explore the interaction
between genetics and environment in the development of Alzheimer's
disease and the impact of environmental factors in delaying the onset of
this disorder.
2020 BAYCREST IMPACT 9
