Creating a better understanding of how specific mutations can affect protein function and structure.
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia[1], causing loss of cognitive brain function and affecting over 55 million people worldwide[2]. The disease is generally not known to have an individual genetic cause, however, it is influenced by many genes as well as environmental factors and lifestyle[3]. Regardless of this, about two-thirds of the people with Alzheimer’s are women[4]. Using bioinformatics tools, we will investigate the risk of Alzheimer's development through genomics. This lets us better understand the genetic factors contributing to Alzheimer’s and may provide insights into developing targeted therapies.
We will focus on predicting the likelihood of Alzheimer’s in females based on the existence of specific single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in their genetic code. Using Python libraries such as Numpy, Pandas, Seaborn, Scipy and Matplotlib to process a database of SNVs in women with and without Alzheimer’s, we can identify SNVs that have the highest factor of influence on gene sequence in non-cognitively impaired people versus people with Alzheimer's. SNV prevalence in women with Alzheimer’s has a lower average p-value indicating greater effect of the SNV on the genetic sequence. This streamlined approach could provide a foundation for diagnosing Alzheimer’s, emphasising prevention and early detection, ultimately contributing to effective disease management and highlighting the need for more research on how the disease affects women.
Sources:
[1] Podcasy, J. L., & Epperson, C. N. (2016, December). Considering sex and gender in alzheimer disease and other dementias. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5286729/
[2] Alzheimer’s disease: Facts & figures. BrightFocus. (n.d.). https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/alzheimers-disease-facts-figures
[3] What causes alzheimer’s disease? | National Institute on Aging. National Institute on Aging. (n.d.). https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-causes-and-risk-factors/what-causes-alzheimers-disease
[4] Why does alzheimer’s affect more women than men? BrightFocus. (n.d.-b). https://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/article/why-does-alzheimers-disease-affect-more-women-men
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