The genetics of motor neuron disease in New Zealand.

Summary: Motor neuron disease (MND) is a serious condition that breaks down nerve cells, making it hard for people to move. For reasons we don't fully understand, New Zealand has a very high rate of this disease. To learn more, scientists tested the DNA of 184 people in New Zealand—some who already had MND and some healthy family members.

They discovered that nearly 1 in 5 people tested had a genetic change known to cause the disease, most commonly in the C9orf72 and SOD1 genes. Interestingly, almost half of the people carrying these disease-causing genes were healthy family members who didn't show any signs of illness yet. This study shows how important it is to test the families of MND patients so they can be watched closely and get new, gene-specific treatments as early as possible.