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Huntington’s Disease Therapies May Target Cholesterol Metabolism in Future

Huntington’s disease (HD) patients are known to have a dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism. Now, researchers have shown that manipulation of cholesterol levels in striatal neurons can improve motor deficits in an animal model of Huntington’s. The study, “CYP46A1, the rate-limiting enzyme for cholesterol degradation, is neuroprotective in Huntington’s…

Huntington’s Research Likely to Benefit from Device Aiding Studies of Neurological Diseases in a Living Animal

Researchers from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, led by Dr. Matteo Cornaglia, PhD, have developed a new experimental device that can assist scientists in the analysis of molecular pathway studies related to complex human dysfunctions, such as neurodegenerative diseases like Huntington’s (HD). The device is intended for use with the…

Key Findings in Early Huntington’s Disease May Provide Clues for Research, Help Classify Puzzling Brain Disorders

Researchers have developed a computational cognitive classification method that allows the differentiation of pre-symptomatic Huntington’s disease patients from early onset patients and healthy subjects, an approach that demonstrates promise for classification and prediction of brain disorders. The research paper, “A Computational Cognitive Biomarker for Early-Stage Huntington’s Disease,” was published…

Scientists Observe Structure of Protein That Plays Major Role in Huntington’s Disease, Opening Door to Finding Cause and Treatments

Researchers have for the first time visualized the structure of the protein α-synuclein in healthy living cells, allowing a better understanding of why the protein forms aggregates in Huntington’s disease (HD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Despite α-synuclein being a known component of amyloid aggregates forming in the brains of HD, Parkinson’s and…

Basic Brain Research into Nerve Development Hints at Mechanisms in Huntington’s

Two scientists at Cambridge University used differing techniques to better understand how brain cells form connections, research that may inspire new ways of rewiring the brain to repair nerves and treat diseases such as Huntington’s. Professor Christine Holt of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, focused on how molecules influence neurons…