News

Vaccinex‘s VX15, a novel clinical stage monoclonal antibody for Huntington’s disease (HD) treatment, has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). VX15 blocks the activity of semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D), a molecule that is thought to promote chronic inflammatory responses in the brain. “We are very pleased…

Huntexil (pridopidine), a drug candidate intended to treat Huntington’s disease movement symptoms, might have a more intricate way of acting on the brain than researchers previously believed — by ramping up activity in molecular pathways known to promote neuroprotection. In the study “Pridopidine activates neuroprotective pathways impaired in…

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have found that patients with Huntington’s disease have a deficient system controlling the amount of the amino acid cysteine that goes inside cells — a deficit linked to oxidative stress. The authors of the study, “Transcriptional control of amino acid homeostasis is disrupted…

What do people with Huntington’s disease, obsessive compulsive disorder, and ADHD have in common? The answer is the basal ganglia, a brain region that controls movement. Recent research suggests a new model for how this region initiates and sustains movement, showing that two pathways, previously thought mutually exclusive, can actually…

Scientists at Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University have shown that transgenic monkeys for Huntington’s disease exhibit early emergent symptoms, like humans with the disease, which bolsters the idea that monkeys could be effective animal models for developing therapies. The study, “Increased irritability, anxiety, and immune reactivity in transgenic Huntington’s disease monkeys,”…

Edward J. Wild, of the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery, London, has a unique perspective on Huntington’s disease (HD). He believes the currently incurable neurological condition is ideal for certain treatment, based on the clear and universal cause of the disease. Wild elaborated on his conviction in a recent article…

Using roundworms to screen chemicals that increase lifespan may improve knowledge on diseases related to aging such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, or cancer, according to initial findings recently revealed at the The Allied Genetics Conference in Orlando, Florida. In a new consortium called the Caenorhabditis Intervention Testing Program (CITP), funded by the National Institute on…

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report they’ve identified a novel compound that could be a potential therapy strategy for Huntington’s disease, protecting nerve cells from death in both cultured cells and animal models of the disease. The study, “SIRT2- and NRF2-Targeting Thiazole-Containing Compound with Therapeutic Activity in…

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston University have developed a system capable of rapidly analyzing protein aggregation, a hallmark of Huntington’s disease, and opening new possibilities in exploring both the causes of protein accumulation and the potential of new drugs to counteract it. The method,…

Results from a Phase 3 clinical trial found that deutetrabenazine (SD-809), an investigational drug developed by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, improved chorea among Huntington’s disease patients. But the researchers caution that more studies are needed to ascertain the treatment’s long-term effectiveness and safety. Data from the trial showing that the drug improved swallowing…