Gene for Childhood Paralysis Identified

Michigan researchers have found the gene for a rare leg-weakening nerve disease, called hereditary spastic paraplegia, that slowly robs children of their ability to walk. As many as 20,000 Americans may suffer from the disease. The discovery should aid in diagnosis and possibly in the development of new treatments. There is no therapy now.

A team from the University of Michigan Health System reports in the November issue of Nature Genetics that as many as 25% of cases of the disorder are caused by mutations in an area on chromosome 14 called SPG3A, which leads to production of a defective form of a protein-producing gene called atlastin. Understanding how the mutation causes the disease may lead to a better understanding of other diseases involving progressive degeneration of nerve fibers, including spinal injuries and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II