Game Changing Discovery in Down syndrome

Scientists working at the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, based at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, have discovered how that extra chromosome may be affecting those with Down syndrome.

The study revealed that a number of proteins involved in the immune system are hyperactive in people with Down syndrome, according to Joaquín Espinosa, executive director of the Crnic Institute and a lead researcher on the study. Their interferon response, which is supposed to target viral infections, is constantly attacking things that aren’t there.

This led the research team to determine that Down syndrome is an immune-system disorder, a “game-changing discovery,” says Michelle Sie Whitten, president and CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, which funded the study.

“It really changes the way we think about all the aspects of Down syndrome,” says Espinosa, who is also a professor of pharmacology at the university.

Fascinating!! 

Game Changing Discovery in Ds