Interviews with the creators of AlzGene

Here's an interesting interview with two of the creators of AlzGene, an online database of genetic association studies performed in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AlzGene is a fantastic resource for Alzheimer's researchers, providing data and meta-analyses from hundreds of genetic association studies in an easy-to-use, searchable database. Scientists interested in a particular gene can search for it in AlzGene to see what previous studies have reported, receiving a wealth of information in a very short amount of time. The interview talks about the development of AlzGene and how this resource may be expanding in the future. The interviewees also share their ideas for future Alzheimer's genetic research. Most of these ideas are also applicable to MS, since both diseases have one major susceptibility gene/gene region (APOE in AD, HLA in MS) but probably several other genes that confer moderate or modest risk.

We at the Accelerated Cure Project recognize the value of resources like this, and have put together our own open-access database of MS genetic studies, although it's not nearly as user-friendly or well-curated as AlzGene. Perhaps someday we can help make "MSGene" available for MS researchers!