The article in the news I found was written in April of last year (2010). The topic of the article was the world's largest family to experience Alzheimer's disease. The family shares a common altered protein on the presenilin 1 gene on chromosome 14: the Paisa mutation. What makes this an interesting topic is that because of the family's single location, large size, and similar lifestyles it enables scientists to search for a scientific evidence that can be more accurate due to the lack of variables. By studying this family, scientists hope to be able to have treatments that can be given before the on-set of the disease in order to slow the progression or prevent the symptoms from occurring at all. This trial is set to begin this year, but does have some challenges due to the uneducated population. Also, the trial is estimated to cost $50 million dollars. Here's the article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/health/02alzheimers.html?_r=1
I find this article to be intriguing because I work as a CNA, in a facility, with Alzheimer's patients. I find it intriguing how the disease progresses and the rate at which it progresses. I have seen not only how it affects the individual, but how it affects an entire family. I believe that research in this area is very important because it is affects so many people.
