Huntington's Disease Research Paper

Words: 441
Pages: 2

Huntington’s disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that affects about 200,000 people worldwide. The disease is autosomal dominant, so a person only needs one genetic marker of the disease for it to become present. This is what results in so many people having it. Huntington’s symptoms typically appear during a patient’s early thirties, and a patient only lives about fifteen years after being diagnosed. Symptoms of Huntington’s disease may include a change in personality, trouble walking or moving, and impaired speech. Now, there is hope for the victims of the disease because of a promising study taking place at Duke University.

I chose this article because when I grow up, I want to become a doctor. I’m inclined to study neurology, but I’m not sure how I’d like to subspecialize. Lately, neurodegenerative diseases have been on my radar, so I found this article interesting. This article also piqued by interest because it involved help from four other hospitals and research centers held in high regard, which is very unique. It’s common for research and trials to be conducted at only one research institution, so enjoyed reading about what happens when different doctors across the country come together to do research.
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The first drug is a drug that treats diabetes, KD3010. The second drug is a treatment for lymphatic cancer called bexarotene. When the two treatments are combined, they activate a special protein called a transcription factor. This protein eradicates unreliable proteins and mechanisms in neurons, which result in a decrease of Huntington’s