Restoring a key hormone could help people with Down syndrome – Science – AAAS

I've never understood the view that "this disability is part of me and we shouldn't try to cure it". I struggle with anxiety and depression, and the same argument could be made there: that my mental illnesses are "part of who I am", an integral "part of my personality", and curing them would "change me". But I'd cure them in half a heartbeat if I could. If something is making life harder or sadder or in any way more negative, why the hell would you think that's the way it has to / should be? "That's who I am, don't treat it" is saying "I'm meant to struggle more than everyone else just because I was born this way, and no one should help me".

Anyway, maybe I'm missing something important and being insensitive, in which case I apologize. But I still think "I don't want to be treated/cured" should not be conflated with "no one should look for treatments or cures", as some people do want it.

Rant aside, this is pretty cool research. I'm sure Down's syndrome affects many different protein and hormone productions, since it's an entire extra chromosome; if we can identify and target each disrupted gene product, maybe one day we'll have a single drug cocktail that can act as a fully effective treatment.