Neurodegenerative Disease

Jesse Jackson Hospitalized with Neurodegenerative Condition: Personal Reflections and Shared Grief

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was hospitalized on Wednesday for observation of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neurodegenerative condition he has managed for over a decade, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s, his PSP diagnosis was confirmed last April. The disorder damages specific brain areas, affecting movement, balance, and eye function, with no cure currently available. Jackson, a civil rights leader who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000 and founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

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Huntington’s Disease Breakthrough: Slow-Growing Mutation Unveiled

A new study reveals that the Huntington’s disease mutation, while present from birth, remains harmless for decades. The mutation gradually expands, increasing the number of CAG repeats in a specific gene. Once the repeat count surpasses approximately 150, a threshold is reached, triggering the production of toxic proteins and subsequent neuron death. This neuronal degeneration accounts for the disease’s characteristic symptoms, which typically manifest between ages 30 and 50. These findings suggest that inhibiting the expansion of CAG repeats may be a more effective therapeutic strategy than targeting the toxic protein itself.

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