Alice Melão,  —

The investigative therapy IONIS-HTTRx effectively reduced levels of the protein responsible for Huntington’s disease in early-stage patients, according to the findings of an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial. The results also revealed that IONIS-HTTRx is generally safe and well-tolerated by patients, further demonstrating its potential as an alternative therapeutic option…

Mutations linked to Huntington’s disease cause more extensive remodeling of functional connectivity in various regions of the brain than previously thought, affecting patients’ motor and cognitive skills, research looking at whole brain connectivity in disease carriers reports. These findings — in “Whole-Brain Connectivity in a Large Study of Huntington’s…

A modified version of the genome-editing CRISPR-Cas9 system may prevent the production of faulty huntingtin protein, moving closer to treatment for Huntington’s disease. The study, “Precise Excision of the CAG Tract from the Huntingtin Gene by Cas9 Nickases,” was published at Frontiers in Neuroscience. The new…

Nerve cells that mimic the molecular features of Huntington’s disease have been created from patients’ skin cells, researchers said. The study, “Striatal neurons directly converted from Huntington’s disease patient fibroblasts recapitulate age-associated disease phenotypes,” was published in Nature Neuroscience. These engineered nerve cells exhibit many of…

Keeping a strict eating schedule may help improve the quality of life of patients with Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, a mouse study suggests. The study, “Time restricted feeding improves circadian dysfunction as well as motor symptoms in the Q175 mouse model of Huntington’s disease,” appeared…

MMJ BioScience has filed a patent invention with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its part-cannabinoid treatment for patients with cannabinoid-responsive diseases, including Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis. According to the announcement by MMJ BioScience — an affiliate of MMJ International Holdings, the patent will protect…

The chemical compound manganese (Mn) has been reported to take part in the underlying mechanism of Alzheimer’s disease. However, little is known about its involvement in the development of other neurodegenerative diseases. In the study titled “Manganese in manganism, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and…

Embryonic stem cells have been seen as a potential therapeutic strategy for several diseases. However, the manipulation of these cells has been a challenge for scientists due to their complex regulatory systems. In a study published in Nature Communications a team led by researchers at the Cologne Cluster…

A poorly active enzyme called aconitase 2 (Aco2), found at low levels in cells, can be a marker of the mitochondrial dysfunction linked to Huntington’s disease and its progression, an early study reports. The study, “Altered Aconitase 2 Activity in Huntington’s Disease Peripheral Blood Cells and Mouse…

A Spanish study investigating the functioning of chloroplasts — the nutrient-producing “factory” of plants — has revealed a new mechanism that helps understand how a cell controls and regulates protein folding mechanisms. This new finding can improve knowledge of Huntington’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s…