New data on an uncharted dark spot of the mouse brain map reveals how connections between brain cells form networks responsible for movement and motor learning — tasks that go awry in conditions such as Huntington’s disease. The findings, discovered during a larger comprehensive project by scientists at the University…
New research from University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière at Sorbonne University, France indicates that couples at risk of transmitting Huntington’s disease to their children need more psychological support before pre-natal testing of the embryo’s genetic status, and additional counseling should they choose to reproduce again. In practice, about 5-25% of men and women at risk…
Caregivers of  people with Huntington’s disease describe themselves as invisible patients in a healthcare system they are profoundly disappointed with, according to a study in the journal Psychiatra Polska. While the study was done in Poland, similar findings in both the U.S. and U.K. indicate that changes in…
Groundbreaking research from the University of Copenhagen showed that healthy glial cells, transplanted into the brains of mice in a Huntington’s disease model, improved symptoms and prolonged the animals’ lives, demonstrating that glial cells actively contribute to disease processes — a finding with potentially far-reaching implications for the research into, and treatment…
A protein, known for its role in the kidneys, has been identified by University of Louisville scientists as a key player in axonal branching – a process by which nerve cells extend processes to connect to other nerve cells. The discovery of the protein’s crucial role will shed light…
Scientists at the University of Guelph in Canada, have concluded in a recent study, that exercise can increase the use of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain, potentially lowering toxicity associated with excessive levels of the compound in neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington’s disease. Glutamate is one of the…
Converging evidence suggests that neurodegenerative conditions, such as Huntington’s disease, are caused by persistent inflammatory immune processes that ultimately kill neurons. This insight, presented by researchers at University of Adelaide, Australia, might change the way researchers approach drug development for neurodegenerative diseases and possibly alter the trajectory of unsuccessful…
Beneficial effects of the investigational neuroprotective drug olesoxime have mainly been attributed to its effects on mitochondria, but new research suggests it also blocks calpain — a molecule directly involved in Huntington’s disease. The findings indicate that exploring the drug’s exact mechanism might bring scientists closer to effective treatments for Huntington’s.
Exemplar Genetics announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) mini pig for use in scientific studies. In the future, this type of model could become an invaluable addition to study diseases such as Huntington’s disease, as mouse models have proven insufficient at optimally translating preclinical research…
Researchers discovered that frequently used fungicides – chemicals used commercially to get rid of fungi in crops – cause the same kind of changes in gene expression as scientists report are present in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, as well as autism. The study, “…
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