My wife, Jill, has always been a fighter, no question about it. Before her Huntington’s disease diagnosis, she’d march into any battle against anyone or anything without hesitation, no matter the stakes. After she learned that she’d experience the same decline from Huntington’s as her father did, though, she seemed to…
Living with Huntington’s disease (HD) presents many physical hurdles, but the toll it takes on mental health is often overlooked. Many people, including myself, experience intense bouts of anxiety and depression as part of this journey. Coping with the physical symptoms of HD can be exhausting, and the…
Ingrezza (valbenazine), an approved treatment for chorea, or uncontrolled movements, related to Huntington’s disease, shows similar effectiveness among patients irrespective of factors like sex, age, or disease severity, according to a new analysis of data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Moreover, a separate data analysis from…
If there’s one thing I know about my wife, Jill, who’s gene-positive for Huntington’s disease (HD), it’s that she seems to have a funny relationship with electronics. Over the years, her cellphones have developed quirks: missed calls, delayed texts, ghost vibrations when there’s nothing there. It’s not that she’s…
Researchers have developed a protein-like polymer — a large, string-like molecule composed of small repeating building blocks — that was able to slow the onset of Huntington’s disease in a mouse model. In the mice, the protein-like polymer prevented the clumping of misfolded huntingtin protein that drives nerve cell…
Navigating a new diagnosis of Huntington’s disease (HD) is a profoundly personal journey through a range of emotions, from shock and disbelief to worry. I know this experience all too well. Reflecting on my own path from diagnosis to today, there are so many lessons I wish I could…
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety and pharmacological properties of its treatment candidate ALN-HTT02 in adults with Huntington’s disease, the company announced as part of a financial update. “We [have] made great strides with our pipeline, … initiating a Phase 1…
Death wasn’t something I thought much about when I was younger. My mortality felt distant and abstract. Then, over a 16-year period, everything changed: My two older sisters died, one from cancer and the other from a tragic accident, and my parents also passed away. During that time frame,…
This October has been one of the most inspiring and empowering months of my life as a Huntington’s disease (HD) patient advocate. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in three major advocacy events, each one special and impactful. Speaking to future doctors, celebrating with my dream medical team,…
Higher levels of an enzyme called GST02 in the most affected neurons in Huntington’s disease could underlie early increases in the brain-signaling chemical dopamine that are believed to drive Huntington’s motor symptoms, according to a mouse study. Scientists had previously uncovered that a deficiency in a signaling pathway called…
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