Huntington's

[kylamonkey]

The question:

Will Huntington's Disease be largely gone within 2-3 generations?

Discuss.

[charmer08]

Polls Are Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[mrnursing]

Polls Are Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

:eek: oh my

[thatonekid]

I don't know enough. Interesting topic though.

[MedDream]

I don't know a lot about this disorder, but from what I do know it's autosomal dominant... meaning that in theory if no one with Huntington's had children it could be gone fairly quickly. However we have to take into account that not everyone gets tested for the Huntington's gene if they have an affected parent (therefore people may have children before they start showing symptoms). The age of onset also varies. Genetics is a very complicated area, and even though I haven't gone nearly as far into genetics courses as I'm sure many of you have, as far as I know you can never COMPLETELY eradicate a genetic disorder.

[leap87]

No. (10 char)

[)oooo>]

It's not even a real disease, it's all in the mindset. Like depression.

[mrnursing]

It's not even a real disease, it's all in the mindset. Like depression.

and it can be cured by vitamin and exercise right?

[Cnussey]

and it can be cured by vitamin and exercise right?

Aspartame and tapes of Richard Simmins.

[Ubiquitine]

It's autosomale dominant, and the age at which the person will devellop the disease depending of QTL ( quantitative trait locus )- the number of repeat of CAG ( cytosin-adenine-guanin) in the huntingdin gene will determin at which age the person gonna have the disease. The more he had repeat, the more it's gonna happen fast.( Althought some others genes may have an importance too) The age at which the person gonna develop the syndrom vary from 10 years old to 70 years old. So the person can reproduce itself and transmit the gene to it's descendance.

NO, it's not gonna be largely gone in 2 or three generation. Sorry I didn't have time to explain with genetics formula to proove my point. It's the end of the semester for everybody I guess

[)oooo>]

and it can be cured by vitamin and exercise right?

vitamins only if you are deficient.
Exercise, you betcha!
Go to a gym, do all you can on squats and you'll feel awesome no matter what you have.
It's amazing what the mind can do.

[Maxime]

It's not even a real disease, it's all in the mindset. Like depression.

Hmm, hope you're being sarcastic on this one, or else this is one of the most ignorant comments I've read in some time, concerning both your points (Huntington's and Depression)

[bloh]

The question is really vague. Eradicated as in the sense that there's a cure or eradicated in the sense that it will be bred out of the population?

Short answers:
To the first question: No, because knowledge of exact pathogenicity is largely unknown and it is a disease of abnormal protein toxicity.

To the second: No, because disease symptoms happen late in life after breeding. Anticipation helps somewhat but not enough.

[leviathan]

It's not even a real disease, it's all in the mindset. Like depression.
Worst troll ever...

[)oooo>]

Worst troll ever...

Not quite, there are quite a few people who believe that SOME diseases are in our head so to speak, that they can be cured by positive thinking.
Even autism apparently, though I'm not sure I agree with this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwnD_o-FFbU

[kylamonkey]

The question is really vague. Eradicated as in the sense that there's a cure or eradicated in the sense that it will be bred out of the population?

Short answers:
To the first question: No, because knowledge of exact pathogenicity is largely unknown and it is a disease of abnormal protein toxicity.

To the second: No, because disease symptoms happen late in life after breeding. Anticipation helps somewhat but not enough.

I apologize- I think eradicated was a poor word choice.

I mean "bred out" (although I don't really like that word choice either).

[Ubiquitine]

Not quite, there are quite a few people who believe that SOME diseases are in our head so to speak, that they can be cured by positive thinking.
Even autism apparently, though I'm not sure I agree with this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwnD_o-FFbU

This one is Michael Savage. Here a quote from him about autism :

''Now, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, "Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot."

He obviously never work, or even talk, with peoples that are autists.

[bpp]

it will probably become much less common, but i don't think it will be eradicated.

[Charon]

That autist kid at my girlfriend's residence can't spell a single word and he's 11. And he can't understand anything you say to him, looking everywhere except at you. But sure, if we'd tell him to straigten up, he probably would... ;-)

Depression, even if it sure is a psychologic disease, shows physical symptoms. That means it must be considered as a serious (and real) pathology.

As of Huntington, it sure won't be eradicated in 2 or 3 generations. But in future, my basic knowledge in genetics tell me it could, because it's autosomal dominant.

[Maxime]

A more interesting poll would have been "if one of your parents was affected by HD, would you want to be tested?". This is one of the dilemmas people related with an index case must face (do you prefer knowing that you have the mutation, knowing that no treatment exists and that you're almost certain to develop symptoms, or do you prefer living your life in ignorance, hoping that nothing will eventually show up?). Of course, everyone wants the test to be negative to be able to live their lives to the fullest, but autosomal genetics being autosomal genetics, the odds that you'll test positive are pretty high). Maybe that's why only 15% of people with a family relative wish to undergo testing...

[deeman101]

It will never go away because:

1) It only is phenotypically expressed after most people have kids

2) Theres a 50:50 shot that you can pass it to your kid (assuming your SO isn't +ve for the disease)

3) Some will accept the odds and have kids anyways. And no one is in a position to stop them from doing so.

And thus it will remain at some low equilibrium level of prevalence in the population indefinitely.

[kylamonkey]

It will never go away because:

1) It only is phenotypically expressed after most people have kids

2) Theres a 50:50 shot that you can pass it to your kid (assuming your SO isn't +ve for the disease)

3) Some will accept the odds and have kids anyways. And no one is in a position to stop them from doing so.

And thus it will remain at some low equilibrium level of prevalence in the population indefinitely.

Ok- so here is what I was thinking.

Yes, it's only after you have kinds that you'll express it. However (and this might be a terrible thing to say) when most people at the age when they ae starting to have kids, their parents will be suffering right then. I think this would really make you think twice, especially since there are relatively simple procedures to ensure you're not passing the gene on.

As for your 3rd point, that's for sure. Still, I think people going through the process will have a serious look at their own priorities. I'm NOT suggesting that people with the gene should not have children, BTW.

This is really the first few generations where it is expected for people to live past about 60 or so.

As far as the genetics argument, well, I guess I have to disagree that a mathemativcal model or formula can be applied in this case. The rate of spontaneous mutation is not zero, so it will definitely not be fully gone, ever.

[deeman101]

Ok- so here is what I was thinking.

Yes, it's only after you have kinds that you'll express it. However (and this might be a terrible thing to say) when most people at the age when they ae starting to have kids, their parents will be suffering right then. I think this would really make you think twice, especially since there are relatively simple procedures to ensure you're not passing the gene on.

As for your 3rd point, that's for sure. Still, I think people going through the process will have a serious look at their own priorities. I'm NOT suggesting that people with the gene should not have children, BTW.

This is really the first few generations where it is expected for people to live past about 60 or so.

As far as the genetics argument, well, I guess I have to disagree that a mathemativcal model or formula can be applied in this case. The rate of spontaneous mutation is not zero, so it will definitely not be fully gone, ever.


The average person does not think THAT rationally. Most people will not connect their parents being sick with their kids being sick, especially when they themselves are not sick (yet). And random mutations can be accounted for, as I recall from some random genetics UG course I took a couple years ago. Abnormal sexual patterns though is probably a bit tougher. :rolleyes:

Regardless I think most genetic diseases will be able to be screened early in the future. And (as happens now) many parents will choose to abort if the fetus comes up positive for a genetic disease.

[Robin Hood]

Progress may come sooner than we expected:

http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?id=274879 (reversal of HD in mice and primates)

http://www.newswise.com/articles/ced...&page=1&search
http://www.newswise.com/articles/tur...&page=1&search (researchers create HD "in a dish")
Hope it doesn't take a lot of time before a drug is manufactured.
Thanks f_d for posting these links!

[Citan]

Yeah it might happen sooner than expected.

Which is good news, considering I do have the disease...

[future_doc]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/two-proteins-offer-a-clearer-way-to-treat-huntington-s-disease?ret=/articles/list&category=medicine&page=1&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date+desc&search[section]=10&search[has_multimedia]=

Two Proteins Offer a “Clearer” Way to Treat Huntington’s Disease

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified two key regulatory proteins critical to clearing away misfolded proteins that accumulate and cause the progressive, deadly neurodegeneration of Huntington’s disease (HD).

[seeking1]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/two-proteins-offer-a-clearer-way-to-treat-huntington-s-disease?ret=/articles/list&category=medicine&page=1&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date+desc&search[section]=10&search[has_multimedia]=

Two Proteins Offer a “Clearer” Way to Treat Huntington’s Disease

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified two key regulatory proteins critical to clearing away misfolded proteins that accumulate and cause the progressive, deadly neurodegeneration of Huntington’s disease (HD).

That is excellent work by those folks and an amazing paper in general. Maybe we will cure Huntington's in our lifetime. :)

[future_doc]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247972.php

Breakthrough New Method For Treating Huntington's Disease

[future_doc]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/aan-new-guideline-on-how-to-best-treat-involuntary-movements-in-huntington-s-disease?ret=/articles/list&category=medicine&page=2&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date+desc&search[section]=10&search[has_multimedia]=

AAN: New Guideline on How to Best Treat Involuntary Movements in Huntington’s Disease

A new guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology recommends several treatments for people with Huntington’s disease who experience chorea—jerky, random, uncontrollable movements that can make everyday activities challenging. The guideline is published in the July 18, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

[future_doc]

http://www.newswise.com/articles/thomson-reuters-partners-with-chdi-foundation-to-develop-systems-biology-tools-for-huntington-s-disease?ret=/articles/list&channel=&category=medicine&page=1&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date+desc&search[section]=10&search[has_multimedia]=

Thomson Reuters Partners with CHDI Foundation to Develop Systems Biology Tools for Huntington's Disease

The Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, today announced a partnership with CHDI Foundation, Inc. to develop systems biology tools for Huntington's disease (HD) research.