http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/huntington's_disease/ Read the latest research news on Huntington's Disease. Learn about genetic risks, potential new treatments and more. en-us Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/huntington's_disease/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714141300.htm The damage to brain tissue seen in Huntington's disease may be caused by an overactive immune response in the bloodstream and the brain. Working separately, two teams found evidence in both brain cells and the bloodstream suggesting an important link between the immune system's response and Huntington's disease. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714141300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616223422.htm Research using newly developed Magnetic Resonance Imaging technology could soon allow clinicians to confirm Huntington's disease before symptoms appear in people who have the gene for the fatal brain disease. Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616223422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080518152643.htm Scientists have developed the first genetically altered monkey model that replicates some symptoms observed in patients with Huntington's disease, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Researchers are now able to better understand this complex, devastating and incurable genetic disorder affecting the brain. This advance, reported in Nature, could lead to major breakthroughs in the effort to develop new treatments for a range of neurological diseases. Mon, 19 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080518152643.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223821.htm The simple act of running in an exercise wheel delays the onset of some symptoms of Huntington's disease in a mouse model of the fatal human disorder according to new research. These findings add insights into the pathogenesis of the disease and suggest possible preventive therapeutic targets. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331223821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080209080452.htm Researchers have discovered that the mechanism that we rely on to transport iron safely through our blood can collapse into a state which grows long worm-like "fibrils" banded by lines of iron rust. This process could provide the first insight into how iron gets deposited in the brain to cause some forms of Parkinson's & Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080209080452.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204111749.htm Hoping to piece together the intricate series of interactions that lead to Huntington's disease, scientists have determined the shape and structure of a binding site that may prove useful in combating the neurodegenerative disease. Huntington's disease is a hereditary disorder that causes large numbers of nerve cells to die. About 30,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to have the disease -- approximately one person in ten thousand. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204111749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092540.htm Scientists have discovered that mental and physical stimulation delays the onset of dementia in the fatal genetic disease, Huntington's disease. This research opens up new therapeutic possibilities for other devastating and difficult to treat brain diseases, including Alzheimer's disease where dementia is a key component. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124092540.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071008171037.htm Researchers have identified a compound that may lead to a treatment that could protect against the effects of Huntington's Disease. A small molecule called C2-8 appears to delay the loss of motor control and reduce neurological damage in a mouse model of the disorder. Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071008171037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070925090246.htm Paying close attention to how a canary learns a new song has helped scientists open a new avenue of research against Huntington's disease -- a fatal disorder for which there is currently no cure or even a treatment to slow the disease. Scientists used gene therapy to guide the development of endogenous stem cells in the brains of mice affected by a form of Huntington's, generating new medium spiny neurons -- the cell lost in Huntington's disease. Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070925090246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070925130029.htm A new hypothesis has been proposed to explain prevalence of the disease by suggesting that people with Huntington's disease are healthier in childbearing years and have more children than general population. Huntington's strengthens the immune system during most fertile years allowing them to produce more offspring. Symptoms associated with Huntington's occur later in life, after peak reproductive age. The researchers' hypothesis challenges a long held belief that people with Huntington's had more children because of promiscuous behavior. Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070925130029.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070822132145.htm A breakthrough in the understanding and potential treatment of Huntington's disease has been made. Researchers have discovered that one of the body's naturally occurring proteins is preventing 57 genes from operating normally in the brains of Huntington's sufferers. In addition, the destructive nature of this protein could potentially be halted using drugs that are already being used to help cancer patients. Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070822132145.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820103214.htm Data reported here shed new lights on this aspect and possibly leading to new therapeutic potential in the future. Huntington disease (HD) is a neurological disorder resulting from degeneration of brain cells. The degeneration causes uncontrolled limb movements and loss of intellectual faculties, eventually leading to death. There is no treatment. Tue, 21 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820103214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070731125813.htm Gene expression in several animal models of Huntington's disease closely resembles that of human HD patients, according to new article. Huntington's disease is an incurable and fatal hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the gene that encodes the huntingtin protein. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070731125813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725093635.htm A drug used in some countries to treat the symptoms of Huntington's disease prevents death of brain cells in mice genetically engineered to mimic the hereditary condition, researchers have found. The research sheds light on the biochemical mechanisms involved in the disease and suggests new avenues of study for preventing brain-cell death in at-risk people before symptoms appear. Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725093635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070718002121.htm Mice carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's disease (HD) showed marked improvements in alertness and their ability to learn after they were given drugs that put them to sleep. Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070718002121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070612105525.htm New research suggests that a breakdown of the myelin that develops early in the formation of the brain may lead to the symptoms of Huntington's disease, a rare, inherited neurological disorder. Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070612105525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070514174300.htm Subtle signs can help doctors predict that a person will develop Huntington's disease in the next few years, according to a new study. Huntington's disease is a genetic disorder that affects movement, thinking, and some aspects of personality. There is no treatment or cure for the disease. Tue, 15 May 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070514174300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070507133039.htm Scientists have developed a novel strategy for tackling neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease: encouraging an individual's own cells to "eat" the malformed proteins that lead to the disease. Tue, 08 May 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070507133039.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070228064850.htm These remarkable results demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to intervene therapeutically in the proteolytic pathways and organelles that participate in the specific degradation of misfolded and abnormal proteins. Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070228064850.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070129140307.htm Associate professor Ray Truant's lab has discovered molecular "zip codes" or protein sequences in the huntingtin protein that dictate where it goes to within a brain cell. Thu, 01 Feb 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070129140307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061201105735.htm Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered a protein interaction that may explain how the deadly Huntington's disease affects the brain. The findings, published in and featured on the cover of the current issue of Human Molecular Genetics, show how the mutated Huntington's protein interacts with another protein to cause dramatic accumulation of cholesterol in the brain. Fri, 01 Dec 2006 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061201105735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061030071137.htm A test using cultured cells provides an effective way to screen drugs against Huntington's disease and shows that two compounds -- memantine and riluzole -- are most effective at keeping cells alive under conditions that mimic the disorder, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report. Tue, 31 Oct 2006 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061030071137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019192752.htm A metabolic disorder underlies the brain effects found in those with Huntington's disease, researchers report in an advance article publishing online Oct. 19, 2006. The article will appear in the November 2006 issue of the journal Cell Metabolism, published by Cell Press. Fri, 20 Oct 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019192752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061007002508.htm A new tool developed at Cambridge University represents a breakthrough in the race to find treatments to help sufferers with Huntington's disease. Researchers have developed an effective new method of testing cognitive decline in mice with the disease, using an automated touch screen. It is hoped the screen will also allow researchers to study more effectively the cognitive difficulties in other neurodegenerative disorders such as in Alzheimer's and CJD. Mon, 09 Oct 2006 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061007002508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060810085116.htm Doctors have completed the first step of a unique medical research study, evaluating 1,001 individuals at risk of developing Huntington's disease who do not know -- nor do they want to know -- whether they carry the genetic defect that causes the condition. Thu, 10 Aug 2006 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060810085116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060611101040.htm Hampering the transport of proteins within cells may underlie several adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's, ALS and Kennedy disease. Understanding how this cell transport is blocked in these diseases may offer targets for future therapy. Sun, 11 Jun 2006 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060611101040.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060530202421.htm The severe neurodegeneration associated with Huntington's disease may result from molecular mutations that block the transport of nutrients within cells. Findings indicate that the mutant huntingtin protein limits the efforts of the huntingtin-associated protein-1 (HAP1) to provide nutrients to growing neurons, or neurites. Without those nutrients, neurites fail to develop and mature neurons degenerate. Tue, 30 May 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060530202421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060308202236.htm Researchers at MIT and Harvard Medical School have identified a compound that interferes with the pathogenic effects of Huntington's disease, a discovery that could lead to development of a new treatment for the disease. Thu, 09 Mar 2006 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060308202236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060210091420.htm Misfolded and damaged proteins are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases, but explanations for the mechanism that kills neurons have varied widely. Northwestern University scientists now offer a clue that may establish a common mechanism in these diseases. Their findings suggest that the disease-associated, aggregation-prone proteins may exert their destabilizing effects by interfering with other proteins that are having difficulty folding, causing them to lose function. Over time, this can cause the organism to die. Fri, 10 Feb 2006 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060210091420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051031131410.htm Protein handling is especially important for neurons because damage or death of brain cells causes neurological disease. University of Iowa researchers have identified a protein, called CHIP (C-terminal heat shock protein 70-interacting protein), that links two arms of the cell's quality-control machinery: refolding of misshapen proteins and destruction of proteins that are damaged beyond repair. Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051031131410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051027082636.htm Little is known about the cause of ALS. What is known is that misfolded and damaged proteins clump together in cells to form aggregates and motor neurons die. Scientists have long debated whether or not the protein aggregates actually kill the cells. Northwestern University scientists have become the first to clearly link the presence of mutant SOD1 protein aggregates with neuronal cell death. This could help explain the disease process and lead to new therapeutics. Thu, 27 Oct 2005 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051027082636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051010100302.htm Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered the inner workings of a defective DNA repair process and are first to explain why certain mutations are not corrected in cells. The finding is important because genetic instability and accumulations of mutations lead to disease. This discovery may lead to ways of fixing the process to avoid Huntington's disease and some types of colon cancer. Mon, 10 Oct 2005 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051010100302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/08/050827120806.htm Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have discovered how the abnormal repetition of a genetic sequence can have disastrous consequences that lead to the death of neurons that govern balance and motor coordination. The studies bolster the emerging theory that neurodegenerative disorders can be caused by having extra copies of a normal protein, not just a mutated one. Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/08/050827120806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050427095128.htm Scientists at Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have uncovered a clue about the causes of dementia in Huntington's disease by showing that mice susceptible to Huntington's disease have problems with learning and memory before the diseases' typical movement problems appear. The Florey scientists also discovered that in Huntington's diseased brains, information processing between neurons is disrupted, but the neurons do not die, which means the brain may respond to new anti-dementia drugs that can restore memory. Wed, 27 Apr 2005 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050427095128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050131223723.htm Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that drugs commonly used to treat psychiatric illnesses and blood disorders in humans may protect the brain cells that die in people with Huntington's disease, possibly delaying the onset and slowing the progression of the disease. Tue, 01 Feb 2005 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050131223723.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050121102753.htm Patients who suffer from neurological diseases such as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease have dramatically different symptoms. An Alzheimer's patient, for instance, will lose memory and cognitive function, while an ALS sufferer will gradually lose motor control. Sat, 22 Jan 2005 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/01/050121102753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041022104816.htm Alzheimer's. Parkinson's. Lou Gehrig's. Huntington's. These neurodegenerative diseases exhibit loss of nerve function in different ways, from memory lapses to uncontrollable muscular movements, but it is now believed that these diseases share many common molecular mechanisms. Tue, 26 Oct 2004 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041022104816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041014075904.htm A mystery long associated with Huntington's disease has been resolved by a team of researchers at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, thanks to a specially designed microscope that allows researchers to track changes in cells, including those associated with neurodegeneration, over long lengths of time. Thu, 14 Oct 2004 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041014075904.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040809095647.htm By tweaking a gene in the mouse genome, scientists are creating animal models of Huntington's disease that mimic human Huntington's and may lead to effective treatments for this killer illness. Wed, 11 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/08/040809095647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040309072325.htm Staying physically or mentally active can slow down chemical changes in the brain that lead to the neurodegeneration of Huntington's disease, researchers show in a mouse model of the disorder. Wed, 10 Mar 2004 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/03/040309072325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/12/031211074021.htm Northwestern University scientists have shown that elevated levels of special protective proteins that respond to stress in a cell (known as molecular chaperones) promote longevity. Thu, 11 Dec 2003 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/12/031211074021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030925064722.htm Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have linked a defective protein in Huntington's disease to gridlock in the transportation system that moves signals and vital protein cargoes within the brain, eventually leading to neuron cell death. Thu, 25 Sep 2003 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/09/030925064722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030717090701.htm Abnormally high calcium levels spurred on by a mutated gene may lead to the death of neurons associated with Huntington's disease, an inherited genetic disorder, characterized by mental and physical deterioration, for which there is no known cure. Thu, 17 Jul 2003 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030717090701.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030211072836.htm Decreasing meal frequency and caloric intake protects nerve cells from genetically induced damage, delays the onset of Huntington's disease-like symptoms in mice, and prolongs the lives of affected rodents, according to investigators at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Intramural Research Program. Tue, 11 Feb 2003 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030211072836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/10/021021052011.htm Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered a gene mutation that causes a condition apparently identical to Huntington's Disease, helping to explain why some people with the disorder do not have the mutation found in most cases. The finding may help reveal why some diseases, like Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, destroy some brain cells while sparing others. Mon, 21 Oct 2002 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/10/021021052011.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/07/020730075921.htm University of Minnesota researchers have found that a nontoxic bile acid produced in the body prevents apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in mice with Huntington's disease. This finding, to be published July 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), may eventually lead to a treatment for Huntington's disease (HD) in humans. Tue, 30 Jul 2002 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/07/020730075921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/02/020201073944.htm Stanford University Medical Center researchers have discovered a potential treatment for Huntington's disease. By enhancing the brain's natural protective response to the disease, researchers were able to alleviate the uncontrollable tremors and prolong the lives of mice with a neurological disorder that mimics Huntington's. Their finding suggests that a similar treatment strategy may be effective in humans. Mon, 04 Feb 2002 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/02/020201073944.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/06/010615072159.htm Like a good parent, a protein called huntingtin helps to safeguard key nerve cells in the brain. When the huntingtin protein is defective, however, certain neurons can become damaged, resulting in Huntington's Disease, a debilitating and fatal form of brain degeneration characterized by physical, mental and emotional disturbances. The discovery of one of normal huntingtin's exact functions within the brain suggests novel therapeutic strategies to fight the disorder. Thu, 21 Jun 2001 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/06/010615072159.htm