PHLPP1 is highly concentrated in the baraOne Gene May Link Alzheimer’s Disease and Stroke

In this study, we explored whether Alzheimer’s disease and stroke might share genetic causes in people with African ancestry. We found a region on chromosome 18 that appears to affect the risk for both conditions. When we looked more closely, we saw that this region interacts with a gene called PHLPP1, which may help explain why the two diseases sometimes occur together. PHLPP1 is highly concentrated in the brain so it makes sense that this gene is important in diseases which impact the brain. We also found that changes in this gene were linked to Alzheimer’s disease in a separate group of people with African ancestry. These findings were strongest for individuals with some African ancestry and whose PHLPP1 comes from Africa. This shows why it is important to study many different populations. When research includes everyone, we can discover risk factors that might be missed in studies focused only on people from one particular ancestry. Understanding these shared genetic links may help us find better ways to prevent or treat both conditions in the future.

Ray NR, Kurup J, Kumar A, et al. Genetic correlation analysis of Alzheimer’s disease and stroke implicates PHLPP1 as a shared locus in individuals of African ancestry. Alzheimers Dement. 2026 Apr;22(4):e71433. doi: 10.1002/alz.71433. PMID: 42043782; PMCID: PMC13116102.