A Genetic Lottery
— Rebecca Field

Probiodrug AG recently announced the results of a preclinical study investigating the role of glutaminyl cyclases (QCs) in Huntington’s disease. The results will be presented at the 12th Annual HD Therapeutics Conference of the CHDI Foundation, in Malta, April 24-27. Probiodrug AG is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative…

A recent report showed that patients with early Huntington’s disease (HD) cannot control their impulsiveness. However, when confronted with a risk-taking situation, they present a similar response as individuals without the disease. Recognizing this behavior pattern can have important implications during treatment and rehabilitation. The study, “Early Huntington’s Disease:…

A virus that delivers UniQure‘s gene therapy candidate AMT-130 has done a good job of getting the Huntington’s disease treatment into the brains of primates, company research shows. Injections of the virus delivered the treatment with precision and without side effects, researchers said. AMT-130’s delivery component is an AAV5 viral vector. AAV5…

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries‘ Austedo tablets have received U.S. approval for treating chorea, or severe movement problems, associated with Huntington’s disease (HD). Austedo (deutetrabenazine, SD-809) is the first deuterated drug the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized, and only the second therapy it has approved for Huntington’s. The FDA had…

Huntington’s disease specialist Herwig Lange will give an online presentation Thursday, April 6, on environmental factors that impact the disease’s onset, progression and severity. Patients, caregivers, disease advocates, foundation members and others interested in Huntington’s can register for the free webinar here. The presentation will be titled “Beyond Genetics: The Importance…

Blood samples may be crucial in tracking brain changes that occur in people with Huntington’s disease, a new study finds. Researchers also report that Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s patients have certain inflammatory mechanisms in common, suggesting a potential for shared therapeutic approaches. The study, “Huntington’s disease blood and brain show a common gene expression pattern and share an…

Although symptoms of Huntington’s disease don’t appear until later in life, new research suggests that the genetic flaw may alter neurons during early development — findings that may change ideas on how to treat the illness. For the study, “Developmental alterations in Huntington’s disease neural cells and pharmacological…

Depression, one of the symptoms of Huntington’s disease, may be associated with structural and functional changes in brain wiring occurring before the most common symptoms appear, according to new research. The study, “Structural And Functional Brain Network Correlates Of Depressive Symptoms In Premanifest Huntington’s Disease,” was published in the…

A new Japanese study confirms that a phenomenon called “ballooning cell death” (BCD) occurs in patients with Huntington’s disease. The study, “A novel form of necrosis, TRIAD, occurs in human Huntington’s disease,” appeared in the journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications. Basically, three types of cell deaths occur in cells: apoptosis (cells program…

Changes in brain volume are linked to both movement problems and cognitive decline in people with huntingtin mutations who have not yet received a Huntington’s disease diagnosis, according to a new report. The study not only offers insights into how the neurodegeneration in Huntington’s affects the emergence of various symptoms,…

A recent study reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of using animal studies to investigate the potential of stem cell therapy to treat Huntington’s disease. The review, titled “Regenerative Medicine In Huntington’s Disease: Strengths And Weaknesses Of Preclinical Studies,” was published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. Huntington’s…

Caffeine boosts a neuroprotective protein in the brain that is lost in neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington’s disease, according to a study. Researchers identified 23 other compounds that also act on the protein, known as NMNAT2. Since increasing the protein may help patients with Huntington’s or similar conditions, the researchers…