Surprise finding sheds light on what causes Huntington’s disease, a devastating fatal brain disorder
Scientists are unraveling the mystery of what triggers Huntington’s disease, a devastating and fatal hereditary disorder that strikes in the prime of life, causing nerve cells in parts of the brain to break down and die. The genetic mutation linked to Huntington’s has long been known, but scientists haven’t understood how people could have the mutation from birth, but not develop any problems until later in life. New research shows that the mutation is, surprisingly, harmless for decades. But it quietly grows into a larger mutation — until it eventually crosses a threshold, ...
