Huntington's disease is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease that gives rise to progressive, elective (localized) neural cell death associated with choleric movements (uncontrollable movements of the arms, legs, and face) and dementia. It is one of the more common inherited brain disorders. About 25,000 Americans have it and another 60,000 or so will carry the defective gene and will develop the disorder as they age. Physical deterioration occurs over a period of 10 to 20 years, usually beginning in a person's 30's or 40's. The gene is dominant and thus does not skip generations. Having the gene means a 92 percent chance of getting the disease. The disease is associated with increases in the length (Neurology, October 95) Treatments Researchers have identified a key protein that causes the advancement of Huntington's after following up on the discovery two years ago of the gene that causes this disorder. Shortly after the Huntington's gene was identified, researchers found the protein it produces, a larger than normal molecule they called huntingtin that was unlike any protein previously identified. The question that they did not know was what either the healthy huntingtin protein or its aberrant form does in a cell. Recently, a team from Johns Hopkins University found a second protein called HAP-1, that attaches to the huntingtin molecule only in the brain. The characteristics of this second protein has an interesting feature- it binds much more tightly to defective huntingtin than to the healthy from, and it appears that this tightly bound complex causes damage to brain cells. Researchers are hoping to find simple drugs that can weaken this binding, thereby preventing the disease to progress any further. In other Huntington-related research, scientists have found where huntingtin protein is localized in nerve cells, a step closer to discovering its contribution toward Huntington's. A French team reported that they have developed an antibody that attaches itself to the defective protein in Huntington's and four other inherited
Related Documents: Essay about Huntington's Disease
Since the 17th century, many humans have inherited, Huntington’s disease also known as HD, a genetic disorder that is passed down through families in which nerve cells in certain parts of the brain waste away, or degenerate. George Huntington was the first medical professional to make a full description on HD in his article “ On Chorea.” Huntington’s disease will cause the patient to have many brain activity malfunctions. When a patient inherits HD, at the age between 30 and 50 they will experience…
Huntington’s Disease Case Study Introduction Huntington’s disease, also called HD or Huntington's chorea, is a genetic disease that is found in many people throughout the world. Genetic diseases are different from other types of diseases, because genetic diseases start from the very beginning, birth. Parents will contain a genetic alteration somewhere in their DNA and then pass that gene on. Parents do not even need to have the disease but carry the chromosome, which contains the potential to…
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE: PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES In the world today there are countless diseases, some preventable some not. Several of them are lifelong but cause no serious terminal issues. Others have a slow or fast onset with deadly symptoms. Either way, whether it be one disease or another, each person contracting or born with a disease all have one thing in common: Psychosocial issues. These issues describe the mental rise or decline a patient has when he or she is diagnosed with a disease…
Fibrosis Huntington’s Disease Cystic fibrosis is a disease passed down through families that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other areas of the body. It is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children and young adults. It is a life-threatening disorder. It is a recessive gene and you need two genes to inherit the disease, and if two carriers had four children at least one of them would have Cystic Fibrosis. Huntington's disease is a disorder…
Huntington’s Disease Aaron Bliss Debbie Schreppel MR103 October 22, 2012 Table of Contents Cover Page1 Table of Contents2 Huntington’s Disease Research Paper3-6 Works Cited7 Aaron Bliss Debbie Schreppel MR103 October 22, 2012 Huntington’s disease Huntington's disease (HD), or previously Huntington’s chorea, is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It usually becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is one…
History Before there was any medical knowledge of Huntington’s disease (HD), it was commonly thought that those suffering from the disorder were possessed. Most societies believed those affected were perhaps witches, and anyone suffering from it was often persecuted as such or placed into exile from the society. Though, not all were treated this way, as studied by George Huntington (right) in 1846, who wrote the first thorough description of the disease in 1872. By studying one family that exhibited…
Children are born as blank slates, Nature/Nurture debate in developmental Psychology, theoretical and research literature The nature/nurture debate of Psychology is one as old as time, it can be traced back to early philosophers such as Aristotle who proposed the theory of ‘Tabula Rasa’ that all humans are born as blank slates and that over time we come to be who we are. The other side of this debate proposes that humans are born with some form of innate knowledge, what this knowledge might be varies…
PHIL 340 – Medical Ethics November 6, 2012 The Obligation to Know Not all cases in the medical field are clear and obvious. More often than not, there is some sort of moral dilemma. In the case of Huntington’s Disease, a genetic and inherited neuromuscular disorder, there is a screening test for a genetic marker for the disorder. The moral issue associated with this test is the question of whether or not a person should, or ought to, take the test so they can plan his or her life effectively…
animals can be used to treat cancer, arthritis and several immune system illnesses. When exactly was testing for Huntington’s disease first made legal? Explain how Eli’s parents were able to get him tested. Based on the novel, what is a chimera? (2 pts) How does the term chimera relate to Eli and Kayla? What is the genetic marker for Huntington’s disease? Huntington's disease gene to an area close to the tip of the short arm of chromosome four. Should the acts of Dr. Wyatt be considered…
genetic information be used? How can we use our knowledge of genes to prevent disease? R.A.G. I understand that a small number of disorders are caused by faulty alleles of a single gene, including Huntington’s disease and cystic fibrosis . I can recall that disorders may be caused by dominant alleles (e.g. Huntington’s disease) or recessive alleles (e.g. cystic fibrosis) I can recall the symptoms of Huntington’s disease – to include late onset, tremor, clumsiness, memory loss, inability to concentrate…
