Target identified for rare inherited neurological disease in men
Monday, August 11, 2014 - 13:10
in Health & Medicine
The mechanism by which a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disease causes often crippling muscle weakness in men, in addition to reduced fertility, has been identified by researchers. The study shows that a gene mutation long recognized as a key to the development of Kennedy's disease impairs the body's ability to degrade, remove and recycle clumps of "trash" proteins that may otherwise build up on neurons, progressively impairing their ability to control muscle contraction.