Gene gives clues to self-injurious behavior in rare disorder

In humans, inherited mutations in a gene called HPRT1 lead to very specific self-destructive behavior. Boys with Lesch-Nyhan disease experience uncontrollable urges to bite their fingers, slam their arms into doorways and otherwise harm themselves. Puzzlingly, mice with mutations in the same gene don't behave differently than normal mice. Researchers have identified a gene related to HPRT1, present in humans but not in mice that helps explain this discrepancy.

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