"Revealing the Remarkable Luck of the Woman Who Defeated Alzheimer's"

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara, in collaboration with international teams, have made significant progress in understanding the genetic form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease affecting a large family in Colombia. They discovered a unique mutation responsible for the disease and found clues to how one family member unusually avoided its typical effects. Through genetic analysis and innovative technology, they identified differences in genetic processes between autosomal dominant and sporadic Alzheimer’s cases, suggesting that treatments for one type may not be effective for the other. They also uncovered clues as to how a family member with the same mutation managed to live into her 70s without developing dementia, shedding light on potential protective mechanisms.