What Caused Lincoln's Clumsy Gait?

Scientists Say 25% Chance He Had Gene Mutation Found In Relatives

(AP) 
"Look what he achieved, even if he had this defective gene," Crary said.

In the 1990s, a geneticist asked the National Museum of Health and Medicine to test Lincoln's hair and bones to find out if the president had Marfan syndrome, a disorder that affects connective tissue, blood vessels and eyes, and can produce fatal abnormalities of major arteries. Marfan's sufferers often have unusual height and elongated fingers, toes and limbs, all characteristics of Lincoln.

But multiple panels decided "the greater public good is served by not destroying this non-renewable national historic treasure," according to the museum's Web site.

Bauer, the Lincoln museum curator, said that when Lincoln's tomb was renovated about 100 years ago, his last living son made it clear he did not want his father's remains disturbed.

That should be an overriding factor, Bauer said.

"His last living descendant, still alive, saying, 'Don't bother my father anymore.' ... If DNA testing was alive in the early 1900s, I think he would say the same thing," he said.

Ranum said researchers would need a small amount of Lincoln's DNA to test for the gene, which causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 5, or SCA5. The DNA could be found on a bloodstained garment or a hair sample. She said she would pursue a DNA test if the opportunity arose, but for now, her main concern is science.

Dr. Robert Y. Moore, a movement disorder specialist and a professor of neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, said the Minnesota research breaks ground "from the perspective that this is a mutation in a gene that has not been known to be involved in this sort of thing before."

For now, Ranum said the new discovery should lead to better diagnosis and possible future treatments and may help people decide whether to have children. The mutated gene is dominant, so there is a 50 percent chance a parent will pass it on.

Still, she said finding out whether Lincoln had the gene could help destigmatize the disease.

"Every aspect of Lincoln's life has been gone over with a fine-tooth comb," she said. "I think it is of historical interest."