Author Archives: Catarina Silva, MSc

Certain aspects of Huntington’s disease (HD), such as the biologic mechanisms of depression, are not consistently replicated in mouse models of the disorder, which may hinder therapy development, a study reports. The study, “Increased Serotonin Transporter Expression in Huntington’s Disease Patients Is Not Consistently Replicated in Murine Models,”…

MMJ International Holdings, a pharmaceutical company focused on the development of cannabis-based therapeutic products, will soon begin testing its oral cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products in U.S. clinical trials for Huntington’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cleared MMJ to import…

Mutations in the huntingtin gene may alter the interactions between the huntingtin protein and a protein called Rac1 in the early stages of Huntington’s disease, which may affect the way nerve cells communicate, a study has found. The study, “Rac1 Activity Is Modulated by…

Experimental immunotherapy laquinimod reduced brain atrophy in the caudate nucleus, one of the most affected brain areas in Huntington’s disease, and other cerebral regions but it did not improve motor function in recently diagnosed patients, LEGATO-HD study findings show. Results from the trial were recently discussed at the…

Researchers have developed a miniature device that can measure the length of disease-related DNA regions in less than five minutes. The technology was tested using DNA samples from myotonic dystrophy type 1 and Huntington’s disease patients. The study, “μLAS: Sizing of expanded trinucleotide repeats with femtomolar sensitivity…

Extract from a South American fruit called guarana was found to reduce neuronal death and accumulation of protein aggregates in a roundworm model of Huntington’s disease, a study reports. The study, “Guarana (Paullinia cupana) Extract Protects Caenorhabditis elegans Models for Alzheimer Disease and Huntington Disease through…