Genetics
It is not uncommon for patients with FTD to have one relative with another dementia or a neurologic illness.
In this situation, the risk of dementia for the rest of the family is only slightly higher than the general population. However, a small proportion of patients may have two or more relatives with FTD. This is often caused by a single gene mistake which has been passed on from one generation to the next. These mistakes most commonly occur in the Tau or the Progranulin gene.
The laboratory at the POWMRI, in collaboration with investigators across Australia, has been studying families with these gene mistakes since the early 90s. The Laboratory was part of an international collaboration which discovered the Tau gene as a cause of familial FTD in 1998. In addition to laboratory studies on the Tau and Progranulin genes, we are also looking for new genes responsible for families with FTD & motor neuron disease. We hope these genetic studies will open doors to a better understanding of the biology of FTD, and eventually treatment.
