[Genetics and Alzheimer's disease].

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease is one of the 'plagues' of modern society. The number of people affected, directly or indirectly, and the huge cost in health resources are frequently discussed in the press. DEVELOPMENT: In recent years we have seen a 'scientific mini-revolution' involving this condition. Most of this 'revolution' is due to the 'success' of the genetic strategy for study of the condition and began with the description of mutations in the gene for amyloid protein, the main component of one of the lesions which shows the disease. Following this, many laboratories have contributed to our knowledge of this protein and the mechanisms which appear to be involved in the disorder. Some years later other genes were also found to be involved in the disorder and once again, many groups have managed to discover part of the process leading to this disease. Even so, the original aims have still not been achieved. The disease still cannot be detected early on, at the preclinical stage preferably and there is still no therapeutic strategy to detain or ideally to reverse the advance of the condition. CONCLUSION: It is to be hoped that the contribution of molecular genetics, which has been so striking to date, continues in the future with the application of new molecular and statistical techniques.