DALLAS: Scientists searched the chromosomes of more than 4,000 Huntington’s disease patients and found that DNA repair genes may determine when the neurological symptoms begin. The results may provide a guide for discovering new treatments for Huntington’s disease and a roadmap for studying other neurological disorders.
Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in a gene that encodes a protein called Huntingtin. Symptoms usually begin in midlife and include uncontrolled movements, emotional disturbances and, eventually, dementia.