User Tag List

+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: Huntington's Chorea Updates

  1. #1
    Points: 39,654, Level: 48
    Level completed: 69%, Points required for next Level: 496
    Overall activity: 0.1%
    Achievements:
    VeteranTagger First Class25000 Experience PointsSocial
    waltky's Avatar Senior Member
    Karma
    5662
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    8,859
    Points
    39,654
    Level
    48
    Thanks Given
    2,515
    Thanked 2,140x in 1,616 Posts
    Mentioned
    46 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Cool Huntington's Chorea Updates

    Huntington’s breakthrough may stop disease...


    Huntington’s breakthrough may stop disease
    11 Dec.`17 - The defect that causes the neurodegenerative disease Huntington's has been corrected in patients for the first time, the BBC has learned.
    An experimental drug, injected into spinal fluid, safely lowered levels of toxic proteins in the brain. The research team, at University College London, say there is now hope the deadly disease can be stopped. Experts say it could be the biggest breakthrough in neurodegenerative diseases for 50 years. Huntington's is one of the most devastating diseases. Some patients described it as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and motor neurone disease rolled into one.




    Peter Allen, 51, is in the early stages of Huntington's and took part in the trial: "You end up in almost a vegetative state, it's a horrible end." Huntington's blights families. Peter has seen his mum Stephanie, uncle Keith and grandmother Olive die from it. Tests show his sister Sandy and brother Frank will develop the disease. The three siblings have eight children - all young adults, each of whom has a 50-50 chance of developing the disease.


    Worse-and-worse


    The unstoppable death of brain cells in Huntington's leaves patients in permanent decline, affecting their movement, behaviour, memory and ability to think clearly. Peter, from Essex, told me: "It's so difficult to have that degenerative thing in you. "You know the last day was better than the next one's going to be."


    * Huntington's generally affects people in their prime - in their 30s and 40s
    * Patients die around 10 to 20 years after symptoms start
    * About 8,500 people in the UK have Huntington's and a further 25,000 will develop it when they are older


    Huntington's is caused by an error in a section of DNA called the huntingtin gene. Normally this contains the instructions for making a protein, called huntingtin, which is vital for brain development. But a genetic error corrupts the protein and turns it into a killer of brain cells. The treatment is designed to silence the gene.


    MORE

  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to waltky For This Useful Post:

    Crepitus (12-11-2017),Green Arrow (12-11-2017),resister (12-11-2017),stjames1_53 (12-11-2017)

  3. #2
    Points: 158,710, Level: 95
    Level completed: 23%, Points required for next Level: 2,940
    Overall activity: 0.1%
    Achievements:
    SocialOverdrive50000 Experience PointsRecommendation Second ClassYour first GroupVeteran
    Green Arrow's Avatar Overlord
    Karma
    620067
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Baton Rouge, LA
    Posts
    47,841
    Points
    158,710
    Level
    95
    Thanks Given
    54,414
    Thanked 24,816x in 16,297 Posts
    Mentioned
    1674 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    My family is one of those plagued by Huntington’s. My grandfather died from it, his dad died from it, and my mom is currently going through the stages. My brother and I haven’t gotten tested yet. Back when we first found out my mom was going to develop it, she signed on to do the experimental treatments. We’ve found some things over the years that seemed to help slow it for awhile, but we don’t have access to the alleged “cure-all” in the US yet.
    "Those who produce should have, but we know that those who produce the most — that is, those who work hardest, and at the most difficult and most menial tasks, have the least."
    - Eugene V. Debs (1855-1926), five-time Socialist Party candidate for U.S. President

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to Green Arrow For This Useful Post:

    waltky (12-11-2017)

+ Reply to Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts