There is no cure for this fatal disease.The 1993 discovery of the gene, which triggers HD when it malfunctions, jump-started research on this devastating disease. In the United States alone, about 30,000 people have HD. History and Genetics of Huntington's Disease. Individuals with HD usually have 40 or more repeats.New Discovery Offers Hope For a New TreatmentHuntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurological illness causing involuntary movements, severe emotional disturbance and cognitive decline. Huntington disease (HD) is a genetic disorder of the central nervous system with symptoms usually appearing in adults within the third or fourth decade of life, although symptoms can occur in individuals younger or older than this. Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease of mid-life onset that produces choreic movements and cognitive decline, often accompanied by psychiatric changes. The Huntington’s gene - the gene that determines whether you will develop Huntington’s disease - is attached to chromosome pair number 4. Using a blood sample, the genetic test analyzes DNA for the HD mutation by counting the number of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene. If the fetus tests positive, parents can make decisions about whether to terminate the pregnancy.The drug used by UC Irvine researchers to prevent the cell death in the fruit fly is known as an HDAC inhibitor, and is currently in clinical trials for treating cancer in humans. In general, it affects about 3 to 7 per 100,000 people of western European descent. The test can be used to confirm a diagnosis of HD in a person who is already showing symptoms (confirmatory testing). Everyone has the HD gene, but in some families an … In addition, 35,000 people exhibit some symptoms and 75,000 people carry the abnormal gene that will cause them to develop the disease.
If the child does not inherit the defective gene, the child will not get the disease nor pass the gene on to subsequent generations. Predictive testing can only tell you if you have Activists such as Marjorie Guthrie spearheaded efforts to improve care as well as to interest scientists in research. Others who have a parent with the disease elect to be tested to resolve uncertainty about their future.
A single abnormal gene produces HD. A person who inherits the HD gene, and survives long enough, will sooner or later develop the disease. In the mutant gene, the repeat occurs over and over again, from 40 times to more than 80.Deciding to be tested for Huntington's disease can be difficult. In the normal huntingtin gene, this sequence is repeated between 11 and 29 times.