Huntington’s Disease in Venezuela, Pros & Cons of Genetic Testing

This week: We take you to a rural community in Venezuela where American researchers conducted a landmark study about the genetics of a hereditary disease called Huntington’s Chorea. That study led to a genetic test for the disease. But the people in that community in Venezuela don’t have access to the test. We then talk with Brazilian genetic counselor, Mayana Zatz about some of the benefits and burdens of genetic testing. Zatz is also the guest in our latest Science Forum discussion. So come join the conversation. Also, Norway’s cautious approach to oil drilling. And an Anatarctic researcher tells us what’s on her i-pod. 

Huntington’s Disease & International Research: Huntington’s Disease is a hereditary brain disorder that leaves patients unable to control their own bodies. It usually sets in around age 30 or 40, and there is no cure. The legendary folksinger Woody Guthrie died of Huntington’s. In the early 1980′s, American scientists pinpointed the gene that causes the disease, thanks to research conducted on an extended family in Venezuela. The result is a test that can help affected families plan their futures. It is widely available in the United States, but not in the remote part of Venezuela that is home to the people who made the test possible.
Report by: Marina Giovanelli
Links to story transcript and photos from Maracaibo, Venezuela.
More about Nancy Wexler, the researcher who led the study in Venezuela.
NIH’s page on Huntington’s Disease.
Huntington’s Disease Association.

The Price of Genetic Testing:Genetic tests can tell people whether they and their children are at risk of getting certain diseases. But that knowledge can come at a price. Anchor David Baron speaks about the complexities of genetic testing with Brazilian genetic counselor, Mayana Zatz. She’s also the featured guest in the latest discussion on The World’s online Science Forum.
Guest: Mayana Zatz.
Join the online discussion with Mayana Zatz. She’s taking your questions and comments through July 13th.

Norway’s Cautious Approach to Oil Drilling: Norway has one of the best safety records in the world when it comes to offshore drilling. But the government says it will be even more careful now, at least until the causes of the drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico are known.
Report by: The World’s Gerry Hadden

Music in Science: Kelly Deuerling is a masters student in geochemistry at Ohio State University. She works in Antarctica, and studies how sand that blows through the dry valleys contributes nutrients to the Antarctic ecosystem. She says she relies on upbeat music from her i-pod to keep ploughing through the drab landscape of Antarctica’s dry valleys. And some of that upbeat music is by a Japanese band called UVERworld.

Tags: Brazil, drilling, genetic disorder, genetics, Huntington's disease, Norway, oil, Venezuela