Morteza Kouhsar, PhD, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK, discusses recent research in which RNA sequencing was used to identify differentially-expressed genes between patients with Alzheimer’s disease plus psychosis and healthy participants. The three patient groups that were compared to the control group were those with Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease plus delusions, and Alzheimer’s disease plus delusions and hallucinations. The results of the RNA sequencing led to the identification of two gene signatures – one specific to Alzheimer’s disease plus delusions and one specific to Alzheimer’s disease plus delusions and hallucinations. Researchers then searched databases for drugs which could reverse the gene expression patterns of the identified disease-specific gene signatures. The aim is that further research in this area could lead to the development of anti-psychotic drugs that are specifically designed to be effective for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference 2022 in Brighton, UK.
