ABSTRACT
The gene for Huntington's disease (HD) was discovered in 1993, after an international collaborative initiative that led researchers to remote regions of South America. It was the most remarkable milestone, since George Huntington's initial description. Through the phenomenological discussions led by Jean-Martin Charcot and Willian Osler, and finally Americo Negrette's reports, which served as the inspiration for the Venezuela Project led by Nancy Wexler, the journey toward discovering the Huntington's disease (HD) gene was marked by substantial efforts. This monumental achievement involved the analysis of more than 18,000 blood samples and gathered dozens of researchers in an integrated effort, enabling the mapping of the gene on chromosome 4 in 1983 and leading, a decade later, to the precise localization and identification of the HTT gene. The discovery of the HD mutation represented a pivotal moment in the field of genetics and neurology, significantly enhancing our understanding of the disease and creating opportunities for future treatments. The progress made and the knowledge gained during this journey catalyzed the development of many innovative molecular techniques that have advanced research in other medical conditions. In this article, the authors celebrate three decades of this memorable event, revisiting the historical aspects, providing insights into the techniques developed, and delving into the paths that ultimately led to the discovery of the HD gene. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Subject(s)
Huntington Disease , Movement Disorders , Humans , Huntington Disease/genetics , Huntington Disease/therapy , Mutation , Genetic Association StudiesABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Tooth eruption requires resorption of the alveolar bone interposed between the tooth germ and the oral mucosa (coronal bone). The cells responsible for bone resorption are the osteoclasts and their activity can be reduced or inactivated by estrogen hormone. We aimed to investigate the effects of estrogen on the process of tooth eruption in rats. Thirty-three Wistar rats, aged two-to-17-days, were divided into control, sham and estrogen-treated groups. After daily injections with estrogen, the animals were euthanized and the jaws removed and processed for histological analysis. We performed clinical examination, morphological analysis, quantification of the number of osteoclasts on the surface of the coronal bone and immunohistochemical analysis of estrogen receptor type alpha (ERα). Estrogen therapy was effective, which could be confirmed by the higher estrogen plasma levels on treated animals. However, it had no effect on tooth development or tooth eruption. Progressive bone resorption was observed and the number of osteoclasts on coronal bone was not affected on hormoneinjected animals, allowing tooth to erupt at the same time observed in untreated animals. Immunohistochemistry for ERα confirmed the presence of this type of receptor in osteoclasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes. Taken together, our results showed that estrogen stimulation was not sufficient to decrease the number of osteoclasts on the coronal bone, supporting the idea that, although estrogen may have a protective activity on bone resorption, this may not apply to the alveolar bone that is meant to be resorbed during eruptive process.
RESUMEN: La erupción dental requiere la resorción del hueso alveolar interpuesto entre el germen dental y la mucosa oral (hueso coronal). Las células responsables de la resorción ósea son los osteoclastos y su actividad puede reducirse o inactivarse por la hormona del estrógeno. Objetivos: apuntamos a investigar los efectos del estrógeno en el proceso de la erupción dental en ratas. Treinta y tres ratas Wistar, de dos a 17 días de edad, se dividieron en grupos de control, Sham y se trataron con estrógenos. Los animales fueron eutanizados después del tratamento con estrógeno y se procesaron las mandíbulas para el análisis histológico. Se realizó el examen clínico, el análisis morfológico, la cuantificación del número de osteoclastos en la superficie del hueso coronal y el análisis inmunohistoquímico del tipo de receptor de estrógeno alfa (ERα). La terapia de estrógeno fue eficaz, lo que podría ser confirmado por los niveles plasmáticos más altos de estrógeno en los animales tratados. Sin embargo, no se observó ningún efecto sobre el desarrollo de los dientes o la erupción dental. Se observó una resorción ósea progresiva y el número de osteoclastos en el hueso coronal no se vio afectado en los animales inyectados con hormonas, permitiendo que el diente erupcionó durante el mismo período de tiempo observado en animales no tratados. La inmunohistoquímica para el ERα confirmó la presencia de este tipo de receptor en los osteoclastos, osteoblastos y osteocitos. Nuestros resultados mostraron que la estimulación del estrógeno no fue suficiente para reducir el número de osteoclastos en el hueso coronal confirmando que, si bien el estrógeno puede tener una actividad protectora en la resorción ósea, esto puede no se aplica al hueso alveolar que está destinado a ser rerecurrido durante el proceso eruptivo.
