USC study: newly discovered beneficial mutation in mitochondrial DNA appears to help Alzheimer’s gene carriers live longer, stay sharper and represents a new direction in drug discovery
Researchers discovered a genetic mutation in humanin, a mitochondrial microprotein, that may help individuals with the APOE4 allele live longer and preserve cognitive function. The variant was found to reduce amyloid-beta buildup in the brains of mice engineered to express human APOE4.