Gene found linked to Alzheimer's dates back to the 16th Century

Kenneth Kosik from the Neuroscience Research Institute in Santa Barbara conducted a study sequencing the genome of a Colombian family with a history of early onset Alzheimer's. They found a gene mutation that indicates that an individual will have the disease. The gene mutation is E208A. However, what was even more interesting is that they also found the presence of another gene mutation that is only known to exist in their family. The mutation, they believe, helps protect individuals with E208A. While it does nothing to prevent Alzheimer's, they believe that individuals with the mutation will begin to show symptoms of the disease at a later date in their lives. They hope that examining their DNA, they will be able to determine the origin of the mutation.