F.O.P
Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
What Causes F.O.P?
Mutations in a cell called the ACVR1, which is in charge of protein development, causes the receptor to constantly produce proteins.
FOP is an autosomal dominate patter gene that is a copy of an altered gene in each cell which is sufficient to cause the disorder.
F.O.P can be inherited!
F.O.P can also be random!
Research Being Done on F.O.P
Researchers are currently searching for a way to stop this rare disease. Because the disease is so rare, and only affects 1 in two million people, it is hard for scientists to know exactly what they're dealing with and how to stop a gene from continuing in the body. FOP often goes undiagnosed until early infancy because the fibrodysplasia ossificantion process begans to speed up as the victim's hormones began to cause them to grow.
Symptoms of F.O.P
Because of the over production in protein the muscles in the body start to harden and become like stone and bones and fuse together until the victim is unable to move at all and are made almost completely of bone.
Is there any way to deal with F.O.P now?
There is no proven solution to FOP.
Corticosteroids, NSAIDs, Aminobiphosphonates, and Thalidomide are often used to help make their lives easier. Corticosteroids decrease inflammation and swelling, NSAIDs also reduce the inflammitation and is in your average Advil or aspirin. Aminodiphosphonates restrain blood from getting into the vessels which causes bone tissues not to grow. This helps decrease the rate muscles and tissues are turned to bone due to over production of protein. Thalidomide appears to modify the immune system resonses and functions to help reduce flare-ups in joins, muscles, and tissue.