Scientists studying a family with early Alzheimer’s have found that some carry a genetic mutation that delays their initial symptoms. The hope is that this could help researchers find new ways of stopping the neurodegenerative disease if they can figure out how one copy of the very rare gene variant offers some protection. “It opens new avenues,” said Yakeel Quiroz, a neuropsychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US, who helped lead the study published on Wednesday. “There are definitely opportunities to copy or mimic the effects.” Genetic protectionResearchers studying a family i…