Huntington's+Disease+-+Sasha+Kahan

HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE:
 * WHAT IT IS** Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that is caused by the gene, Huntingtin, being too large (this gene is located on chromosome 4). Because of the gene's size, it produces a protein that kills brain cells. This disorder eventually leads to death.

Early symptoms- •Mood swings •Irritability •Depression •Memory loss •Uncontrolled movements
 * SYMPTOMS**

Later Symptoms- •Difficulty with motor movement (walking, speech, etc.) •Continued declining of intellectual functions


 * CAUSES** Huntington's disease is caused by an enlarged Huntingtin gene, located on chromosome 4. The gene is enlarged in the area where the code C-A-G is repeated many times. In people with Huntington's, the number of C-A-G repeats is much higher in those that do not have huntington's. The C-A-G repeats cause the protein produced by the gene (called huntingtin protein), to change shape. The mutant Huntingtin protein now interacts with proteins that it wouldn't have gone near before, especially those in the neurons of the brain. In the neuron, the protein is able to get to the DNA site of the cell. Some doctors believe that the accumulation of pieces of the protein in the cell's nucleus kills the cell, while others think that they are harmless.


 * INCIDENCE/INHERITANCE** Huntington's disease is an inherited disease. A person needs only one copy of the mutated huntingtin gene to develop the disease (thus, it is dominant). Every child of a person with huntington's has a 50% chance of getting the gene and developing the disease. About 1 in 20,000 people of western european descent are born with the gene that causes huntington's. In Asia and Africa, about 1 in 1 million people are born with the gene.


 * TREATMENTS** Huntington's disease is an incurable disease. There are, however, drugs and treatments that can help with the symptoms of the disease. There are drugs to help decrease involuntary movements, depression, irritability, and mood swings, but death is the ultimate outcome.