Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy is now accepting research papers for consideration in a special series for 2012 on the new FTD mutation on chromosome 9, guest edited by Professor Bruce Miller (University of California, San Francisco).
This series will discuss new advances in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) related to mutations in C9orf72. We welcome manuscripts that discuss the clinical and basic science features of this important new mutation.
The publication of these articles will be coordinated with a series of reviews and opinions written by leaders in the field including Bradley Boeve, Neill Graff-Radford, Bryan Traynor, Sharon Sha, Adam Boxer and Jill Goldman, covering a range of topics from genetics to imaging to treatment.
Authors that submit research to this special series will be entitled to a 50% article-processing charge discount. Please quote ‘alzrtFTD50’ on submission to use this offer.
Please submit articles for the special series by 31st May 2012. Please submit your manuscript online and indicate in your covering letter that you would like the article to be considered for the FTD mutation series.
If you would like to enquire about the suitability of a study for consideration, please email editorial@alzres.com.
Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy is the major forum for translational research into Alzheimer’s disease and associated conditions. An international peer-reviewed journal, it publishes open access basic research with a translational focus, as well as clinical trials, research into drug discovery and development, and epidemiologic studies.
Just read a really plausible novel called The Prophesy Gene. The main characters uncover a number of unintended genetic mutations as a result of the 1980s Aral Sea environmental disaster in Central Asia and the accidental release of a genetically modified strain of anthrax. The author makes a pretty scary claim that mankind is stifling its own evolution by premeditated and accidental genetic engineering and mutations because we can’t possibly understand all of the consequences to ecosystems and dormant genetic sites and the food chain when we monkey with this stuff. For example, some people eat oxen that have grazed on mutated vegetation and those people’s digestive systems irreparably stop working. Or some dangerous fungus that humans eradicate because it causes disease but they don’t realize that it also sequesters carbon dioxide and could reverse global warming. But I think the best one is that if it wasn’t for scientist’s genetic meddling, humans might one day evolve senses that bats and sharks have like hunting by their internal sonar or the ability that butterflies and some birds have to navigate by the earth’s magnetic field. The book is by Stuart Schooler. His website is http://www.stuartschooler.com and there’s a link to a blog and a Youtube video (https://vimeo.com/53365895).