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UM Gets Federal Grant To Study Alzheimer's

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — The University of Miami has been awarded a four-year grant to identify the genetic risks of Alzheimer's disease.

The nearly $13 million in federal funding from the National Institutes of Health is part of a five-university collaboration to identify rare genetic variants that may either protect against, or contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk.

Researchers will analyze data from 6,000 volunteers with Alzheimer's disease and 5,000 older individuals who did not have the disease. In addition, they will study genomic data from 111 large families with multiple Alzheimer's disease members, mostly of Caucasian and Caribbean Hispanic descent to identify rare genetic variants.

Alzheimer's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, affects as many as five million people age 65 and older in the United States.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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