Recent advances in the genetics of frontotemporal dementia

In this review we highlight recent advances in the human genetics of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In addition to providing a broad survey of genes implicated in FTD in the last several years, we also discuss variation in genes implicated in both hereditary leukodystrophies and risk for FTD (e.g., TREM2, TMEM106B, CSF1R, AARS2, NOTCH3).

Over the past five years, genetic variation in approximately 50 genes has been confirmed or suggested to cause or influence risk for FTD and FTD-spectrum disorders. We first give background and discuss recent findings related to C9ORF72, GRN and MAPT, the genes most commonly implicated in FTD. We then provide a broad overview of other FTD-associated genes and go on to discuss new findings in FTD genetics in East Asian populations, including pathogenic variation in CHCHD10, which may represent a frequent cause of disease in Chinese populations. Finally, we consider recent insights gleaned from genome-wide association and genetic pleiotropy studies.

Recent genetic discoveries highlight cellular pathways involving autophagy, the endolysosomal system and neuroinflammation, and reveal an intriguing overlap between genes that confer risk for leukodystrophy and FTD.