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Newly-Discovered Gene Variant Could Help Prevent or Treat Alzheimer's Disease. 'Newsweek' reports that scientists have uncovered a genetic variant that has the potential to reduce the odds of developing Alzheimer's by as much as 70%. The discovery could reportedly lead to new methods to effectively treat or prevent the disease which impacts approximately 5.8 million people in the United States alone. Some genetic variants have been found to have an association with an increased likelihood of developing the disease, while other variants offer protection. A team from Columbia University found that genes involved with the production of fibronectin play a crucial role in developing Alzheimer's. Healthy individuals usually only have fibronectin present in small amounts along their blood-brain barrier, while those with Alzheimer's have much higher quantities. "It's a classic case of too much of a good thing. It made us think that excess fibronectin could be preventing the clearance of [abnormal protein clumps] from the brain." The team believes that methods aimed at reducing fibronectin could play a crucial role in developing new treatments and preventative measures. "Anything that reduces excess fibronectin should provide some protection, and a drug that does this could be a significant step forward in the fight against this debilitating condition.", "Our findings suggest that... we may be able to develop new types of therapies that mimic the gene's protective effect to prevent or treat the disease.", Caghan Kizil, co-leader of the study and professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, via 'Newsweek'. The Columbia University team's findings were published in the journal 'Acta Neuropathologica’. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT