Researchers study childhood disease connected with self-mutilation

By Staff Writer

Researchers from the University of California-San Diego have released a study that examines the characteristics of a childhood neurological disease called Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND), which is a rare disorder found in males early in life.

LND causes young children to engage in self-mutilating behavior, such as lip and finger biting. Other symptoms include facial grimacing and repetitive movement of one's limbs, similar to that seen in Huntington's disease. The study, which appears in the online journal PLoS ONE, shows that brain deficiencies in patients with LND are similar to those found in people who have Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's.

Researchers focused on the HPRT gene located on the X chromosome in children who have LND. The gene, which is part of the HGPRT enzyme, creates mutations that causes build up of uric acid and bodily fluids. The team of scientists found that there a number of signaling pathways that are altered in HPTR-deficient cells, which are similar defects that play a causal role in more common neurological diseases.

The team hopes that these findings will help create new therapies to treat these diseases.

Adolescents who have thoughts about self-mutilating or suicidal behavior may benefit from participating in wilderness therapy programs, which are designed to help troubled teens.