Null mutations in progranulin cause ubiquitin-positive frontotemporal dementia linked to chromosome 17q21

Two groups of neuroscientists have discovered that a mutation in the progranulin gene, which encodes a growth factor, can cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The condition, the second most common form of dementia among under-65s, impairs memory and personality and may also affect movement. The discovery may help to resolve confusion over the cause of the disease — mutations in a neighbouring gene called microtubule-associated protein tau were shown previously to be associated with some, but not all, cases of FTD.