Hannah's Heirs: The Quest for the Genetic Origins of Alzheimer's Disease

Hannah's Heirs: The Quest for the Genetic Origins of Alzheimer's Disease by Pollen, Daniel A.. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780195106527.

The internationally acclaimed story of Hannahs Heirs now resumes in this updated paperback edition with the discovery in June, 1995 of Hannahs gene--now known to account for the majority of mutations causing early onset familial Alzheimers disease--and the equally important identification of the major genetic risk factor rendering increased susceptibility to the more frequently occurring late-onset Alzheimers. With these recent discoveries, medical science is now poised to reach for an understanding of the causes of the various forms of Alzheimers disease which, in turn, will inevitably lead to rational attempts to treat and prevent Alzheimers. This fascinating medical detective story of modern sciences promising assault on "the disease of the century" continues to unfold with suspense and to inform and inspire through the final word. In Hannahs Heirs, neurologist Dr. Dan Pollen himself tells the compelling story of Hannahs family and their monumental contributions to the fight against Alzheimers. We are there in 1985 when Charles presents Pollen with three decades worth of family medical records as well as data from studies that even Pollen and his associates did not then know existed. We see the selfless acts of Hannahs descendants in their struggle against Alzheimers: great-grandson Jeffs conviction that after his death his brain be used for all possible research; great-granddaughter Lucys decision to overcome her dread of flying in order to reach the research center for testing; and Charless continued research in the face of a disease that might strike him at any moment. Pollen sets this gripping story within the larger context of the efforts to solve the mysteries of Alzheimers. He presents the foundations of modern genetic research, from Gregor Mendels classic discovery of genes, to Alois Alzheimers work on the brains of presenile dementia victims, to Watson and Cricks double helix model for the structure of DNA. He narrates the latter-twentieth-century efforts of scientists to systematically narrow down the causes of Alzheimers: Carlton Gajduseks research excluding slow viruses as a cause of Alzheimers; and the stunning discovery of Peter St. George-Hyslops group in Toronto in June, 1995 identifying Hannahs gene and thereby opening a new era in understanding the origins of Alzheimers disease. At the same time, Pollen offers a penetrating look at the ongoing conflicts involved in scientific research, revealing how intense competition for prestige and funding has driven some scientists to hoard precious cell lines. These practices have impeded efforts to discover both the causes and the treatment of Alzheimers in the shortest possible time. As Hannahs great-grandson Ben has written, "This is a story that had to be told. Aspirations were transcendent, but because it involved people it could not be told without tears." Written by a physician-scientist who has been a central figure in the study of familial Alzheimers, Hannahs Heirs is an inspiring portrait of the efforts of a courageous family to confront and overcome a "personal biological Holocaust," and an encouraging look at the advances in science that have created the basis for the eventual understanding and treatment of Alzheimers disease. And for those who have seen the horrors of Alzheimers, for all who fear the aging process that will take its toll on everyone, here is an inside look at one of the great medical detective stories of our time.