Activating the JAK2-STAT3 pathway in astrocyte cells reduced multiple hallmark features of Huntington’s disease  — including the toxic clumping of the huntingtin protein in nerve cells — from the brains of a mouse model, a study reported. “Our results open new therapeutic avenues to further enhance the natural partnership…

Researchers have developed a new class of compounds that tackles the root cause of Huntington’s disease, opening up new avenues for the development of novel therapies for the disease. The compounds can lower the levels of mutant huntingtin — the faulty protein in Huntington’s disease — by sending it…

Mutant huntingtin, the protein involved in Huntington’s disease, travels from one neuron to another using a network of tunnels built by a protein called Rhes, a study finds. The study, “Rhes travels from cell to cell and transports Huntington disease protein via TNT-like protrusion,” was published in the…

Mild genetic or environmental changes that upset the circadian clock (our internal sleep-wake cycle) may work to diminish the toxicity of mutant huntingtin, the protein involved in Huntington’s disease and nerve cell death, an early study in a fruit fly model found. The study, “Circadian Clocks Function in Concert…

A protein that can specifically bind to mutated forms of huntingtin and prevent its production — while preserving the normal versions of this protein — may represent a new strategy to attack Huntington’s disease. Researchers from Sangamo and Shire are going to present results from preclinical studies of…

While transplanted fetal nerve cells can survive long term in the brain of a Huntington’s disease (HD) patient, only a specific subset called interneurons thrive, according to a study. Projection neurons — a particular type of nerve cell commonly lost in Huntington’s — were rarely detected, probably due to…

Short huntingtin (HTT) protein fibers precede the formation of larger deposits that accumulate in the brains of those affected by Huntington’s disease, preclinical results reveal. These findings one day may help researchers predict the onset and course of the disease. The study, “mHTT Seeding Activity: A Marker of…

The investigative therapy IONIS-HTTRx effectively reduced levels of the protein responsible for Huntington’s disease in early-stage patients, according to the findings of an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial. The results also revealed that IONIS-HTTRx is generally safe and well-tolerated by patients, further demonstrating its potential as an alternative therapeutic option…

Blocking an enzyme called PIP4Ky has the ability to reduce levels of mutant huntingtin protein and clear toxic aggregates of the protein, suggesting a potentially effective therapeutic strategy against Huntington’s disease, according to a study. The study, “Inhibition of PIP4Kγ ameliorates the pathological effects of mutant huntingtin…

Following a strict diet schedule helped clear away the protein responsible for Huntington’s disease in mice, according to researchers in Canada. The study, “Preventing mutant huntingtin proteolysis and intermittent fasting promote autophagy in models of Huntington disease,” was published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica Communications. The buildup of mutant huntingtin…