ALD Connect

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked disease that is caused by an underlying genetic mutation in the ABCD1 gene, which affects the body’s ability to create the protein that helps break down very long–chain fatty acids (VLCFAs). The VLCFAs build up in the brain, nervous system, and adrenal gland and may eventually destroy the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves. ALD affects approximately 1 in 17,000 people worldwide.