The protein encoded by this gene is thought to be a human-specific protein. Currently available evidence suggests that orthologous regions in other organisms contain sequence differences that would not support production of a protein product. Genome-wide association studies have suggested the possibility that a SNP in the 3' UTR, rs17123507, could be associated with nicotine addiction. Expression of this gene may be elevated in some individuals with Alzheimer's disease. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2017].