Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Beneficial Alzheimer's gene can be perilous in pairs

18 March 2009

WHERE protection against Alzheimer’s is concerned, you can have too much of a good thing. If you inherit one copy of a particular gene mutation it seems to protect you from Alzheimer’s. With a copy from each parent, you may be in trouble.

of the Carlo Besta National Neurological Institute in Milan, Italy, and colleagues discovered the mutation in a 44-year-old man with signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s who didn’t have the usual gene mutations.

Both he and a younger sister with mild cognitive problems, have two copies of a mutation in a gene called APP, while relatives…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop