animal-model
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What Pigs Revealed that Mice Missed in Huntington’s Disease
9 min read
A change in one gene can disrupt thousands of others in HD. A study in pigs suggests an explanation: expanded huntingtin interferes with chemical marks on DNA. The same effect wasn’t seen in mice, showing that the animal model matters.
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Mending the fabric of your genes
6 min read
Cells constantly mend tears and rips in the fabric of your DNA, like a cherished pair of jeans. Sometimes this mending can add C-A-Gs by mistake. A group of scientists examined whether other kinds of rips in the genetic fabric may be occurring in HD.
By Dr Chris Kay -
Could rewiring the brain’s “brakes” improve movement in Huntington’s disease?
6 min read
Scientists discovered that a specific type of brain cell becomes unusually quiet in Huntington’s disease. By restoring the activity of these cells in mice, they were able to rebalance brain circuits and improve movement.
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Intruders in the Brain: What a Pig Model Reveals about Immune Cells in HD
7 min read
A recent study in pigs suggests the HD brain could be under attack from the body’s own immune system. The results reveal that invading cytotoxic T cells might contribute to neurodegeneration in HD, suggesting a new therapeutic pathway.
By AJ Keefe -
Youthful competitors: young brain cells oust the old
5 min read
Replacing cells with HD in the brain could be an effective treatment strategy. Recent work shows that glia injected into mouse brains take over and oust the older cells, but for a surprising reason – because of age, not HD!
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Hunting for balance: how the huntingtin protein compensates in HD
7 min read
Researchers look at the cause and effect of various forms of the HTT protein. They find both expanded and unexpanded HTT contribute to brain cell communication and the brain has an amazing capacity to compensate for changes related to disease
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Revisiting vitamin therapy for HD
6 min read
A small clinical trial of high-dose biotin and thiamine for treating HD is being planned in Spain. This trial is based on research that links HD to another neurodegenerative disease called biotin-thiamine responsive basal ganglia disease (BTBGD).
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Good news from uniQure: gene therapy trial on track, and promising data in animals
7 min read
The first group of 10 participants have been dosed in uniQure’s clinical trial of an HD gene therapy, and three new manuscripts describe safe, widespread huntingtin lowering in animals.
By Dr Leora Fox -
HD and Histamines: Targeting Hybrid Receptors to Quiet Stressful Brain Talk
9 min read
Scientists recently used an antihistamine to quiet dopamine messages in the brain and treat HD-like symptoms in mice. But beware the hype suggesting that allergy medicines could be used to slow down HD.
By Dr Leora Fox -
Screening the entire genome for new drug targets for HD
6 min read
Scientists screen the ENTIRE genome to find new potential therapeutic targets for HD. This ambitious study provides a wealth of data for HD researchers