Huntington's Disease and Stem Cells

http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/anp/v64n1/a02fig01.gif 

Huntington's Disease (HD) is a disorder in which a defective gene produces a different, toxic version of the protein Huntingtin, which in turn damages or destroys nerve cells in the brain called medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Depending on how many faults there are in the gene, a person with HD usually will start noticing the symptoms between the ages of 30-50 and the symptoms will progress and worsen with age. Common symptoms are a gradual loss of muscular control, resulting in difficulty walking, speaking, and swallowing, and memory loss is another common symptom. There is currently no cure for Huntington's, so currently the symptoms are the only treatable factor. However, stem cells, cells that can specialize for any function in humans and reproduce, provide an opportunity for a cure. If healthy stem cells could replace the malfunctioning gene that produces Huntingtin, it could potentially stop the disease in its tracks. While this is not an easy task, there is a lot of promising research in stem cells occurring now. To learn more click the links above, which include an informational website, an informational video, a newspaper article about a woman who tested positive for Huntington's, and a report on a research project about stem cells.