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Spinal Muscular Atrophy

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Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is brutal on a carrier's body as they will slowly deteriorate and be able to do less and less with their life as they live on. Despite this, some people make the most of it and try to great things, but they struggle to do simple things such as rolling over, getting dressed, or brush their teeth. One day, this can be changed. Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a disease that should be heavily researched because it is very limiting for a carrier's life, it is able to be researched, and it could benefit the world as a whole so great minds like Shane Burcaw can live up to their true potential.
According to MDA , “Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease affecting the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary …show more content…
Carriers have a deficiency of functional SMN (Survival of Motor neuron) proteins, which causes carriers to have limited motor skills. Two almost identical genes that produce SMN proteins are the SMN1 and SMN2. According to MDA, “ Proteins made from the SMN1 gene are full-length and functional, and appear to be necessary for the survival and proper function of the motor neurons. By contrast, proteins made using instructions from the SMN2 gene are shorter and tend to be less stable.” Scientists have learned that an amount of full-length SMN proteins can be made from the SMN2 gene (MDA). Luckily, many people have extra SMN2 genes that soften the impact of flaws in SMN1 genes. Scientists have made advancements in finding ways to raise SMN levels through multiple methods. The first method that can raise SMN levels is through gene therapy. This method involves injecting the SMN1 genes into the body. Another way they try to raise SMN levels is through antisense oligonucleotides(MDA). This strategy is to use antisense oligonucleotides to lengthen the production of SMN proteins by SMN2 proteins. Patients do not lack SMN2 proteins, but the SMN2 proteins do not make full length SMN proteins (MDA). The next possible method is to use drugs to raise SMN levels. This is still in testing. The goal is to use drugs to manipulate the SMN2 RNA to produce more full length SMN proteins (MDA). The next approach is the attempt to increase muscle strength and protecting muscles from being paralyzed. Research shows that newborns should be tested for SMA as soon as possible because the earlier they know about it, the more they can do and the more effective work on them can be done(MDA). Scientists have looked into using “biomarkers” to see how an SMA patient is

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