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.
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Olesoxime, a drug shown to have neuroprotective properties, may have beneficial effects in Huntington’s patients through reduction of calpain-mediated huntingtin cleavage, according to the study “The calpain-suppressing effects of olesoxime in Huntington’s disease,” published in the journal Rare Diseases. Olesoxime is a small molecule…
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…
The Weill Family Foundation and Joan and Sanford I. “Sandy” Weill have donated $185,000,000 to the University of California, San Francisco, to establish the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences in an effort to expedite the development of new therapies for brain and nervous system diseases, including Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s…
Powerful artificial lights, known as Lumie lamps, are being donated to neurologists at Cambridge University’s School of Clinical Medicine for a research project aimed at improving the quality of life for people with Huntington’s disease (HD). Bright light has been shown to have a strong impact in people’s levels of alertness, mood ,and…
A research report discusses the use of six versions of a new type of molecule, known as xyloketal B, for the treatment of Huntington’s disease. Scientists tested the six possible drugs in a worm model of Huntington’s disease, Caenorhabditis elegans. Results of the study,  “Xyloketal-derived small molecules show protective effect…
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Huntington’s Researcher Wins Inaugural Hermann J. Muller Award from Indiana University Bloomington
A geneticist and neuropsychologist whose research led to the identification of the gene involved in Huntington’s disease (HD) has been named the inaugural recipient of the Hermann J. Muller Award for Contributions to Our Understanding of Genes and Society, a new honor by Indiana University Bloomington. Nancy…
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Researchers Decrease Accumulation of Damaging Huntington’s Disease Protein Using New Method in Mice
A recent study published in the journal Neuron by University of California at Irvine researchers revealed that the protein PIAS1 regulates the accumulation of a mutant protein in Huntington’s disease, and its expression associates with disease pathogenesis in a mouse model of the disease. The study, “PIAS1 Regulates Mutant Huntingtin Accumulation…
Cambridge, England-based light therapy specialist Lumie will supply 24 of its most powerful light boxes, called Lumie Brazil, for use in a Huntington’s disease research study at the Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine’s Neurology Unit. The Lumies are being donated to…
San Diego-based Molecular Stethoscope, a company that develops blood-based early detection and disease monitoring tests, is partnering with 23 national medical and academic institutions to address some of the most puzzling scientific questions about disease diagnosis and monitoring. The company has developed clinically actionable tests that analyze organ-specific circulating…
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