HOW IS FRIEDREICHS ATAXIA ACQUIRED?
Friedreich’s Ataxia is only acquired when both parents are carriers of a mutated gene, located on chromosome number 9, that is passed on to their offspring. Amazingly, one in every 100 persons in the United States is a carrier of the bad gene. That goes up to one in 70 for some individuals, such as those in the Cajun population. Generally, in people with Friedreich’s Ataxia, the two defective genes (one from each parent) contain a section of genetic code that is repeated many times – up to hundreds or thousands of times above the normal range of five to 30 repeats. As a rule, the longer the repeat, the earlier the onset of the disease and the faster its progression The gene, when normal, is believed to control the production of a protein called frataxin that regulates levels of iron inside the mitochondria (tiny cellular powerhouses that produce energy from oxygen.) Research indicates frataxin may act as a “storage depot” for iron, releasing it only when it’s needed. While iron is esse
