Endophenotypes for Alzheimer’s disease – GWAS on CSF tau levels

Beneath the surface. Endophenotypes sound great on paper. As the actual disease phenotype is difficult to classify and complicated, a biomarker is used for genetic analysis that is assumed to be closer to the genetic underpinnings of a disease than the disease itself. A recent study in Cell now investigates the hunt for risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease using a well-established endophenotype. The results demonstrate the complexity of endophenotypes and the difficulties in interpretation. Continue reading