Major Stroke Study Indicates New Directions for Therapies Development

A landmark study into the biological causes of stroke carried out by researchers from 184 institutions worldwide has identified 32 separate areas of DNA linked to the condition – around three times as many as were known before – which could underpin new treatments.

“This is a landmark study in stroke genetics. It has uncovered several biological pathways that were not previously implicated in stroke that may lead to the discovery of new drug targets,” said Professor Cathie Sudlow, Head of Centre for Medical Informatics at the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute, one of the centres involved in the study.

Scientists analysed DNA samples from more than 500,000 people to pinpoint regions of the genetic code that are associated with stroke and found that many of the DNA regions overlap with those known to be implicated in related conditions linked to circulation, including coronary artery disease and thrombosis. Some highlighted areas of DNA were found to be common to different types of stroke, which were previously thought to have differing disease path ways.

“We can’t overstate the importance of international collaboration across different ethnic origins when studying genetics of complex, common diseases such as stroke. This large-scale collaboration across continents has been a game changer,” said Professor Stephanie Debette, University of Bordeaux.

Gene and protein data from multiple cell types and tissues, such as heart, vascular and brain samples were also analysed to locate where in the body the relevant genetic regions take effect.

Stroke is the second most common cause of death and disability worldwide, but the biological pathways behind the condition are poorly understood, making development of new treatments challenging.

The study was published in Nature Genetics