Know more about Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA)
WHAT IS FFRIEDREICH’S ATAXIA (FA)?
Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is a debilitating, life-shortening, degenerative neuro-muscular disorder. About one in 50,000 people in the United States have Friedreich’s ataxia.
More About FRIEDREICH'S ATAXIA
Most individuals have onset of symptoms of FA between the ages of 5 and 18 years. Adult or late onset FA is less common, <25% of diagnosed individuals, and can occur anytime during adulthood. FARA is supporting research that will improve the quality and length of life for those diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia and will lead to treatments that eliminate its symptoms.
Cause Of fa
FA is an inherited or single gene disorder. Mutations or DNA changes in the FXN gene cause FA. FA is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, meaning that individuals with FA have two mutated or abnormal copies of the FXN gene, this means both biological parents must be a carrier of the disease for a child to be affected. It is estimated that 1 in 100 people are carriers, and carriers do not exhibit symptoms of FA. Each such carrier parent has one mutated gene (allele) and one normal gene (allele) in the FXN gene. Because each child gets one of the mother’s genes and one of the father’s genes in this location, there are four possible combinations of the genes passed down to the child or a 25% chance that the child will have FA. The FA gene mutation limits the production of a protein called frataxin. Frataxin is known to be an important protein that functions in the mitochondria (the energy producing factories) of the cell. Frataxin helps to move iron and is involved with the formation of iron-sulfur clusters, which are necessary components in the function of the mitochondria and thus energy production. We also know that specific nerve cells (neurons) degenerate in people with FA, and this is directly manifested in the symptoms of the disease.
Treatments
There are currently no treatments for FA. Patients are monitored for symptom management. FARA is funding research to find treatments and a cure. We believe the treatment era for FA is now! As a result of great advancements to understand the cause of the disease, new treatments are now emerging. These treatments address the causes of FA such as gene mutation, frataxin production, iron sulfur clusters, and mitochondrial function. A full listing of treatment initiatives can be viewed in FARA’s treatment pipeline. Several of these treatments are in clinical trials which require patient participation.
Symptoms
loss of coordination (ataxia) in the arms and legs
fatigue, energy deprivation and muscle loss
vision impairment, hearing loss, and slurred speech
aggressive scoliosis (curvature of the spine)
diabetes mellitus (insulin - dependent, in most cases)
serious heart conditions, including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrthymias.
Diagnosis
Positive FA genetic test results usually contain two numbers that indicate presence of the disease.
What do these numbers mean? Our genetic code is spelled out along the double helix of our DNA by triplet combinations of four nucleotides labeled A, T, C, and G. At the key place in the Friedreich's Ataxia gene of a person not affected with the disease, only a dozen or so triplet combinations of the nucleotides GAA would be found. In a FA patient, however, this combination of the GAA nucleotides is usually repeated hundreds of times, making it very difficult for the code on the normal part of the gene to be read or "transcribed" and thus limiting the amount of Frataxin protein that can be encoded and formed.
So, the two numbers in the genetic test reports refer to the number of GAA triplet repeats on the FA gene. One number is associated with the allele (gene) inherited from mom and the other number is associated with the allele (gene) inherited from dad. The expanded numbers of the GAA triplet repeats confirm the inheritance of Friedreich's ataxia. Research seems to indicate general correlation between some FA symptoms and the numbers of GAA repeats.
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