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NINDS Niemann-Pick Disease Information Page

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Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)
What is Niemann-Pick Disease?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?

Organizations

What is Niemann-Pick Disease?

Niemann-Pick disease (NP) refers to a group of inherited metabolic disorders known as the leukodystrophies or lipid storage diseases in which harmful quantities of a fatty substance (lipids) accumulate in the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow, and the brain. Symptoms may include lack of muscle coordination, brain degeneration, learning problems, loss of muscle tone, increased sensitivity to touch, spasticity, feeding and swallowing difficulties, slurred speech, and an enlarged liver and spleen. There may be clouding of the cornea and a characteristic cherry-red halo develops around the center of the retina. The disease has 4 related types. Type A, the most common type, occurs in infants. It is characterized by jaundice, an enlarged liver, and profound brain damage. Children with this type rarely live beyond 18 months. Type B involves an enlarged liver and spleen, which usually occurs in the pre-teen years. The brain is not affected. In types A and B, insufficient activity of an enzyme called sphingomyelinase causes the build up of toxic amounts of sphingomyelin, a fatty substance present in every cell of the body. Types C and D may appear early in life or develop in the teen or adult years. Affected individuals have only moderate enlargement of the spleen and liver, but brain damage may be extensive and cause an inability to look up and down, difficulty in walking and swallowing, and progressive loss of vision and hearing. Types C and D are characterized by a defect that disrupts the transport of cholesterol between brain cells. Type D usually occurs in people with an ancestral background in Nova Scotia.

Is there any treatment?

There is currently no effective treatment for persons with type A. Bone marrow transplantation has been attempted in a few patients with type B, and encouraging results have been reported. The development of enzyme replacement and gene therapies might also be helpful for those with type B. Individuals with types C and D are frequently placed on a low-cholesterol diet, but its clinical benefit is not convincing.

What is the prognosis?

Infants with type A die in infancy. Children with Type B may live a comparatively long time, but may require supplemental oxygen because of lung impairment. The life expectancy of persons with types C and D varies: Some individuals die in childhood while others, who appear to be less severely affected, live into adulthood.

What research is being done?

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducts research about Niemann-Pick disease in laboratories at the NIH and also supports additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. Investigators at the NINDS have identified two different genes that, when defective, contribute to Niemann-Pick disease types C and D.

Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.

Organizations

Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation [For Niemann-Pick Type C Disease]
3530 East Campo Abierto
Suite 105
Tucson, AZ   85718-3327
victory@parseghian.org
http://www.parseghian.org
Tel: 520-577-5106
Fax: 520-577-5212

 National Niemann-Pick Disease Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 49
Ft. Atkinson, WI   53538
nnpdf@idcnet.com
http://www.nnpdf.org
Tel: 920-563-0930 877-CURE-NPC (287-3672)
Fax: 920-563-0931
National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association
2001 Beacon Street
Suite 204
Brighton, MA   02135
info@ntsad.org
http://www.ntsad.org
Tel: 617-277-4463 800-90-NTSAD (906-8723)
Fax: 617-277-0134

  


Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892



NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history.

All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.

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Last updated June 18, 2007