Causes of Huntington's Disease

Huntington's Disease Causes

Huntington's disease is inherited and is caused by a single abnormal or mutated gene called the Huntingtin protein or Huntingtin gene.^[3][4][5] The gene can be inherited from either parent. Because the gene is dominant, only one faulty gene needs to be inherited for the disease to develop. If one parent has the disease, each child of that parent has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease. The faulty gene creates a protein that causes problems with control of cholesterol in the brain.

The faulty gene is located on a specific chromosome (chromosome 4) and has numerous repeats of genetic code or DNA.^[5] Normal people typically have less than 30 repetitions of this code. Persons who have Huntington's disease have 40 or more repetitions of the code.