A Genetic Lottery - a Column by Becky Field

Researchers in England and Wales have identified a gene linked to disease progression in Huntington’s disease, shedding new light on the poorly understood mechanisms that cause the disorder. Although the results — published in the journal The Lancet Neurology —hold no immediate prospect of leading to a cure, researchers say…

Aggregates of mutant huntingtin protein have been associated with cellular toxicity in Huntington’s disease. Now researchers have discovered that isolated forms of mutated huntingtin are actually responsible for major molecular changes in cells that will drive toxicity. The study, “Transcriptional profiles for distinct aggregation states of mutant Huntingtin exon…

Researchers used gene editing to suppress the activity of protein mutations in the brains of mice with  Huntington’s disease. Suppressing the huntingtin protein alleviated early signs of the disease and reduced the mice’s movement problems, the study reported. The research, “CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing ameliorates neurotoxicity in mouse model of…

Therapies aimed at reducing the levels of a protein called HDAC3 may improve cognitive decline in Huntington’s disease, according to the results of a new study. The study titled, “A selective inhibitor of histone deacetylase 3 prevents cognitive deficits and suppresses…

A snapshot of a key brain receptor in action might advance the understanding of disease processes in Huntington’s disease and allow scientists to identify new treatments, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) hope. Their work, published in the journal Nature, describes how the neurotransmitter glutamate binds to…

Researchers have created the first freely available data network — called HDNetDB — that aims to advance research into Huntington’s disease and speed up drug discovery for the incurable condition. The approach, described in an article in the journal Scientific Reports, particularly focuses on the complex molecular workings…

Wave Life Sciences will start two Phase 1b/2a clinical trials to investigate the safety and tolerability of its products WVE-120101 and WVE-120102 in Huntington’s disease patients. The trials will also look at the therapies’ effectiveness. “Wave’s PRECISION-HD program is the first to target the underlying cause of Huntington’s disease…

Huntington’s patients who are taking Xenazine for the twitching condition known as chorea can switch without concern to the newly approved Austedo, according to Austedo’s maker, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. A Phase 3 clinical trial showed that the switch was safe and that Austedo (deutetrabenazine) did a better job of controlling chorea than…

A sluggish metabolism in the cells of the striatum, a brain region essential for motor function control, is associated with disease severity in Huntington’s patients, while a higher metabolism in other brain regions seems to be associated with more severe motor symptoms in patients, according to researchers. These findings…

Mutations of the MSH3 gene may be associated with the progression of Huntington’s disease, according to a British study. The gene could become a biomarker for the disease, and scientists may be able to develop Huntington’s therapies around it, the researchers from University College London and Wales’ Cardiff University said.