Definition:
Metachromatic leukodystrophy is a kind of leukodystrophy that destructs the development of myelin, the fatty white matter that protects the nerve fibers in the the central and peripheral nervous system.
Treatment:
There is no standard cure for metachromatic leukodystrophy, but gene therapy as well as enzyme replacement therapy are currently under investigation as potential cures to the disease.
Symptoms and Signs:
The disease shows signs of motor development difficulties during the infant's first year. Children with metachromatic leukodystrophy often suffer from dementia and mental deterioration, followed by eventual death.
Causes:
metachromatic leukodystrophy is caused by a lack of the arylsulfatase A enzyme. This enzyme is needed to keep sulfatides from building up and destroying the myelin.
:
leukodystrophymetachromatic
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