Lorraine Ho

Friday, August 10, 2012

Hope may be stirring for those suffering from an incurable brain disease that causes loss of muscle control.

Spinocerebellar Ataxia affects the cerebellum - a small but key region of the brain - killing nerve cells and triggering genetic diseases, such as Parkinson's and Huntington's.

SCA patients may suffer tremors, gradually lose fine motor skills, and have trouble keeping their balance or coordinating daily movements.

But a team of Chinese University researchers may have an answer to their suffering - as they have found exactly how the disease is triggered.

Toxic ribonucleic acids cause deterioration of the small brain by disrupting the production of proteins called ribosomes - claims the team's findings, published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"The lack of ribosomes eventually causes programmed cell death ... and leads to the development of SCAs," lead researcher and CUHK School of Life Sciences associate professor Edwin Chan Ho-yin said.

"In theory, therefore, finding a way to revive ribosome supply in patients suffering from SCAs may help in treating the disease."

The territory currently has about 300 patients with symptoms of SCAs, Chan said. DNA tests have shown a third to be confirmed cases.

Excerpt from:
Finding Parkinson's clue offers unshakable hope