Question: What causes Neurofibromatosis type 1 ?
Answer: What causes neurofibromatosis type 1? Neurofibromatosis type 1 is caused by changes (mutations) in the NF1 gene. NF1 is a tumor suppressor gene, which means that it encodes a protein that stops cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way. Mutations in NF1 result in an abnormal protein that is unable to carry out its normal role. This contributes to the development of the many different types of tumors found in neurofibromatosis type 1. People with neurofibromatosis type 1 are typically born with one mutated copy of the NF1 gene in each cell and are, therefore, genetically predisposed to develop the tumors associated with the condition. For a tumor to form, two copies of the NF1 gene must be altered. The mutation in the second copy of the NF1 gene is considered a somatic mutation because it occurs during a person's lifetime and is not inherited. Almost everyone who is born with one NF1 mutation acquires a second mutation in many cells and develops the tumors characteristic of neurofibromatosis type 1.
Source: GARD