WHAT IS THE DNA BANK?
The DNA bank is a collection of DNA samples from patients and their family members who live all around Texas. The DNA is taken from the blood given when a person enrolls into the DNA bank. The DNA is used for genetic research to find the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The DNA bank includes samples from the patient and the spouse, the patient’s brothers and sisters and their spouses, the children and their spouses, and even the grandchildren. If the parents are still alive, we try to have them participate as well. We are also interested in patients with other neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis.
The DNA bank is a collection of DNA samples from patients and their family members who live all around Texas. The DNA is taken from the blood given when a person enrolls into the DNA bank. The DNA is used for genetic research to find the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The DNA bank includes samples from the patient and the spouse, the patient’s brothers and sisters and their spouses, the children and their spouses, and even the grandchildren. If the parents are still alive, we try to have them participate as well. We are also interested in patients with other neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis. How Will the DNA Be Used? We are searching for the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Since the disease can exist in several members of a family, there is probably a genetic basis for much of the disease. Finding the genes involved will enable us to devise tests to identify patients early before symptoms start. Only then can we establish methods that will prevent t
