TEHRAN – An Iranian knowledge-based company has manufactured a kit for detection and diagnosis of Huntington’s disease, Mehr reported on Sunday.

The production of the kit is a great step toward the early detection of the disease, the director of the company Sirus Zeinali said.

Huntington's Disease (HD) is a neurological disease for which there is presently no known cure or effective treatment. HD causes gradual physical emotional and cognitive deterioration.

The company also produce a kit for detection of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which is prevailing disease worldwide, he said.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disorder characterized by loss of lower motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting, often leading to early death.

The kit provides an opportunity for screening the disease in newborns and for couples before marriage, he added.

------- What is Huntington's Disease?

HD is a degenerative disease whose symptoms are caused by the loss of cells in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia. This damage to cells affects cognitive ability (thinking, judgment, memory), movement, and emotional control. Symptoms appear gradually, usually in midlife, between the ages of 30 and 50. However, the disease can strike young children (juvenile form) and the elderly.

There is no treatment or cure for Huntington’s Disease, and the patient eventually becomes completely dependent on others for daily functioning. Individuals may also die due to other secondary complications such as choking, infection, or heart failure. Children who are diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease do not usually live to reach adulthood.

SB/MQ/MG