News

The Scottish region of Fife has launched one of the world’s first local care frameworks for Huntington’s disease, putting local staff and families at the forefront of work to help those with this neurodegenerative disease. The launch, at Victoria Hospital, saw families affected by Huntington’s join health and social…

Improved measures to accurately determine the effectiveness of treatments targeting Huntington’s disease are necessary, according to clinical neurologists and Huntington’s specialists. The editorial, “Improved metrics for Huntington’s disease trials,” reflects on recent advances made for the development of targeted agents that can effectively change the course of Huntington’s disease.

Impaired metabolism of a type of brain cell called an astrocyte plays an important role in the development and progression of Huntington’s disease, a study using a mouse model has found. Discovery of this previously unknown error could be key in developing future treatments for Huntington’s, which does…

A new therapeutic strategy based on a small part of the huntingtin protein — which in a mutated form is responsible for Huntington’s disease — shows potential to regulate the course of disease, according to a study using mice. The study, “Improvement of BDNF signalling by P42…

A key protein in Huntington’s disease has damaging effects on heart function beyond the disease’s devastating neurological impact, according to researchers. Their study, “Cardiac mTORC1 Dysregulation Impacts Stress Adaptation and Survival in Huntington’s Disease,” was published in the journal Cell Reports. Huntington’s disease is…

Elevated levels of a specific protein in the saliva of Huntington’s disease patients may be used as a biomarker to measure motor function and clinical outcomes, according to researchers. Their study, “Salivary levels of total huntingtin are elevated in Huntington’s disease patients,” was published in the journal…

“You Me Everything,” a novel about a single mom whose mother is diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, is helping to raise awareness of the condition. The story is also drawing attention to the struggles of patients and their loved ones. In writing the novel, British author Catherine Isaac sought…

A Rare Conditions Care Value (RCCV) program providing second opinions from experts for patients with rare diseases like Huntington’s disease was launched recently by two U.S. health management companies, Express Scripts and Pinnacle Care. The program, aptly named “Second Opinion,” offers another assessment regarding diagnosis and disease treatment from a specialist in the field,…

Canada’s healthcare system is excellent for people with common ailments like diabetes or high blood pressure, but it’s “basically failing the nearly three million Canadians with rare diseases.” So says Durhane Wong-Rieger, president and CEO of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD), a Toronto-based network representing 102 patient advocacy…

Arterial hypertension was linked to a later age of disease onset in Huntington’s patients in a study in Europe. The study, “Does arterial hypertension influence the onset of Huntington’s disease?” was published in the journal PLOS One. Previous research has shown an association between the age of onset…