A “Scientific Unicorn” for Alzheimer’s Research?

On October 7, The New York Times published “He Was Expected to Get Alzheimer’s 25 Years Ago. Why Hasn’t He?” reported by Pam Belluck.

Here is the intriguing introduction:

“Mr. Whitney, 76, is a scientific unicorn with potential to provide answers about one of the world’s most devastating diseases. He has a rare genetic mutation that essentially guaranteed he would develop Alzheimer’s disease in his late 40s or early 50s and would likely die within a decade.

“His mother and nine of her 13 siblings developed Alzheimer’s and died in the prime of their lives. So did his oldest brother, and other relatives going back generations. It is the largest family in the United States known to have an Alzheimer’s-causing mutation.

“‘Nobody in history had ever dodged that bullet,’ Mr. Whitney said.

“But somehow, he has done just that. Something has shielded him from his genetic destiny, allowing him to escape Alzheimer’s for at least 25 years longer than anyone expected.”

The article goes on to explain that at least two other individuals in history have been identified as “resilient to the early-onset dementia their mutations should have caused.” A key feature appears to be that while the brains of all three individuals are “full of amyloid,” they have “very little tau,” the protein tangles most associated with Alzheimer’s. The larger mystery is “why,” and therein lies the future for research….