Thank you TheFallibleFiend for sharing your interpretation of the obvious here at our "Scientists implant human chromosome in mice" thread.
U. South Florida researchers study Down Syndrome, Alzheimer's link
October 4, 2005
(U-WIRE) TAMPA, Fla -- Researchers at the Byrd Alzheimer's Institute and the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, both located at the University of South Florida, are working together to examine the link between Alzheimer's disease and Down syndrome.
The two centers, which work in conjunction with similar centers across the state, are "a consortium of researchers put together to attack the problem of Alzheimer's disease," said Huntington Potter, Eric Pfeiffer chair for Alzheimer's research at USF's College of Medicine. Potter is also the CEO and scientific director of the Byrd Alzheimer's institute.
The link between Alzheimer's and Down syndrome has been established through trisomy 21, the name for the process that occurs when chromosome 21 produces three copies of itself instead of two. Those who have trisomy 21-- Down syndrome patients and some Alzheimer's patients -- have increased production of Abeta1-42, which is the peptide that forms the Alzheimer's plaques on the brain.
http://www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=NwsEvt.Article&article=1455
