Huntington’s Disease: New Research May Uncover Cause
Posted Nov 19 2009 10:02pm
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a protein interaction that may explain how the deadly Huntington’s disease affects the brain.
The findings…show how the mutated Huntington’s protein interacts with another protein to cause dramatic accumulation of cholesterol in the brain. “Cholesterol is essential for promoting the connection network among brain cells and in maintaining their membrane integrity. Both the level of cholesterol and its delivery to the proper locations in the cell are essential for the survival of neurons,” explains Mayo Clinic molecular biologist Cynthia McMurrary, Ph.D.
“Our discovery that the mutant Huntington’s disease protein derails the cholesterol delivery system and causes cholesterol accumulation in neurons provides us with key results and solid clues to the mechanism of this disease,” says Dr. McMurray. “Fully understanding the mechanism of toxicity is the key to developing treatments.”
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Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a protein interaction that may explain how the deadly Huntington’s disease affects the brain.
This entry was posted on Monday, December 11th, 2006 at 12:59 pm and is filed under Rare Genetic Conditions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.