Extract from a South American fruit called guarana was found to reduce neuronal death and accumulation of protein aggregates in a roundworm model of Huntington’s disease, a study reports. The study, “Guarana (Paullinia cupana) Extract Protects Caenorhabditis elegans Models for Alzheimer Disease and Huntington Disease through…

Mitoconix Bio has secured $20 million in financing to continue developing MTC-1203 as a treatment for mitochondrial impairment in Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Several pharmaceutical companies and medical-related venture-capital funds participated in the financing. They include Aril Bioscience, OrbiMed, Remiges Ventures and the Dementia Discovery Fund. “We are very…

A protein called Nrf2 can help maintain healthy levels of proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease, thereby protecting neurons from death, according to new research. Results of the study, “Nrf2 Mitigates LRRK2- And α-synuclein–induced Neurodegeneration By Modulating Proteostasis,” were published in the journal PNAS. Neurodegenerative disorders…

Two scientists at Cambridge University used differing techniques to better understand how brain cells form connections, research that may inspire new ways of rewiring the brain to repair nerves and treat diseases such as Huntington’s. Professor Christine Holt of the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, focused on how molecules influence neurons…

Neurodegenerative diseases are caused by excessive neuronal death in distinct brain areas. For example, in Huntington’s disease the striatum is a specifically vulnerable region and disease may benefit from enhanced neuronal protection against oxidative stress. Glyceraldehyde 3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase, known as GAPDH, is a central enzyme in glucose metabolism, but it…

Researchers from the Scripps Research Institute identified the protein Rhes as a crucial player in neuronal death in the striatum, the brain region responsible for motor and cognitive functions. The study entitled “Ectopic expression of the striatal-enriched GTPase Rhes elicits cerebellar degeneration and an ataxia phenotype in Huntington’s…