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 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:05:01 EST Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:05:01 EST 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/2009/11/091115134134.htm Normal synaptic activity in nerve cells protects the brain from the misfolded proteins associated with Huntington's disease, researchers have discovered. They also found that the drug Memantine, which is approved to treat Alzheimer's disease, successfully treated Huntington's disease in a mouse model by preserving normal synaptic electrical activity and suppressing excessive extrasynaptic electrical activity. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115134134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002310.htm Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the development of Huntington's disease in a variety of mouse models. "Gene therapy in these models successfully attenuated the symptoms of Huntington's disease and increased life span," notes Paul Patterson, the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091031002310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819153931.htm Researchers have been able to track mesenchymal stem cells through the human brain using in-vivo MRI, which gives new information on the viability of these cells and their benefits to damaged tissue. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819153931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804174725.htm Specific changes in brain pathways may counteract genetic mutations for the movement disorder dystonia, according to new research. Few people who inherit dystonia genes display symptoms -- namely sustained muscle contractions and involuntary gestures -- and the study provides a possible explanation. This result could lead to new treatments for the estimated 500,000 North Americans diagnosed with dystonia. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804174725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720190606.htm Results of a recent study question the long-term effects of transplanted cells in the brains of patients suffering from Huntington's disease. The study provides the first demonstration that transplanted cells fail to offer a long-term replacement for degenerating neurons in patients with Huntington's disease. Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720190606.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220605.htm People with a family history of genetic disease are often discriminated against by insurance companies and their relatives and friends, according to new research. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609220605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604144330.htm Brain scientists have figured out why a faulty protein accumulates in cells everywhere in the bodies of people with Huntington's disease, but only kills cells in the part of the brain that controls movement, causing negligible damage to tissues elsewhere. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604144330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402124249.htm A new study has identified a potential strategy for removing the abnormal protein that causes Huntington's disease from brain cells, which could slow the progression of the devastating neurological disorder. Scientists describe how an alteration to the mutated form of the huntingtin protein appears to accelerate its breakdown and removal through normal cellular processes. Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402124249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093347.htm A cure for debilitating genetic diseases such as Huntington's disease, Friedreich's ataxia and Fragile X syndrome is a step closer, thanks to a recent finding in plant DNA that has similarities to certain genetic abnormalities in humans. Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081104180926.htm An over-the-counter vitamin in high doses prevented memory loss in mice with Alzheimer's disease, and scientists now are conducting a clinical trial to determine its effect in humans. Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081104180926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923134316.htm Scientists have made a significant finding that could lead to better drugs for several degenerative diseases including Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Compounds that block the activity of a specific enzyme prevented brain injury and greatly improved survival in fruit flies that had the same disease process found in Huntington's disease. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923134316.htm 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