A genetic variant that sits between genes involved in silencing endogenous retroviruses and cell membrane repair and regeneration was linked with a faster time to disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). People with 2 copies of the allele, called rs10191329, required a walking aid a median of 3.7 years sooner than those who weren’t homozygous carriers, according to the genome-wide association study of 22 389 people with MS published in Nature. Moreover, people who were homozygous carriers tended to have a greater number of brain stem and cortical lesions in brain tissue.
Source: JAMA Online First