(Wall Street Journal) – Among members of the Richardson family who carry a mutation in the PSEN1 gene, the average age when symptoms start is 39

Hannah’s family has a history of a rare genetic mutation that, when inherited, virtually guarantees that the carrier will die of an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s early in life. No drug has been found to stop it. But now researchers are exploring a new avenue: Could pre-emptive treatment slow or even halt the memory-robbing disease in people at high risk of developing it?

Hannah and her two siblings will help researchers test that theory. They are enrolling in a new clinical trial led by doctors at the Washington University School of Medicine. As part of the trial, the siblings will finally find out if they carry the fatal gene. (Read More)