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Dementia in 2013

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration—building on breakthroughs

Genetic research in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is gaining momentum. Following the discovery of a repeat expansion in the gene C9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72), three major genes and associated disease mechanisms and inclusion body pathologies have emerged, paving the way for personalized medicine in FTLD.

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Figure 1: Three subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank J.-J. Martin and A. Sieben for the immunohistochemistry images and expert support. The authors receive funding from the Belgian Science Policy Office Interuniversity Attraction Poles programme, the European Centers of Excellence in Neurodegeneration, the Methusalem Excellence programme, the Alzheimer Research Foundation, the Medical Foundation Queen Elisabeth, the Research Foundation Flanders, the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology Flanders, the University of Antwerp Research Fund, and the MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research.

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Correspondence to Christine Van Broeckhoven.

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van der Zee, J., Van Broeckhoven, C. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration—building on breakthroughs. Nat Rev Neurol 10, 70–72 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2013.270

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