Online Surveys: Participate in HD Research from home!   Online surveys are a great way to make your voice heard and contribute to HD research from wherever you have access to the internet. Whether you are a person with HD, caring for a loved one with HD, at –risk for HD, or someone who is part of an HD family, there are researchers who value your experiences and want your feedback.  You can view all available opportunities at https://hdsa.org/hd-research/online-surveys/. Keep reading for highlights of some of the newest additions to the list!   Understanding the Daily lives of ..read more

Updates from the Huntington Study Group Annual Meeting Last week, members of HDSA’s team joined HD clinicians, researchers, and family members from across the country and around the globe for the Huntington Study Group Annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. The meeting is tailored for medical professionals, but also included research talks and posters, as well as a family day. It included presentations on the latest research in HD genetics, data capturing the experiences of research participants and community advocates, and updates from companies developing treatments for HD.   HDF Research ..read more

Celebrate Giving Tuesday with HDSA!   At HDSA, we’re grateful for your commitment to HDSA’s vision of a world free of Huntington’s disease and for your engagement in research – it’s how medicine moves forward. If you’re a reader of this blog, you’re actively choosing to stay informed about HD news, HD science, and HDSA research activities, and we thank you for trusting HDSA as a source. The more awareness we can raise within our community about evidence-based research, the greater the participation, and the faster the field can move towards effective treatments for HD.  &nb ..read more

VICO Therapeutics on Help4HD Podcast   Last week on the Help4HD podcast, host Lauren Holder was joined by Dr. Katja Obieglo from VICO Therapeutics to talk about the experimental therapy they are developing to treat HD and Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) types 1 and 3, VO659. This drug targets multiple CAG-repeat expansion diseases by preventing copies of expanded genes from becoming mutant proteins. By reducing levels of mutant protein that are in circulation in the body, the goal is that this drug will have the power to stop or reverse progression of HD, SCA 1, and SCA 3. To listen to the f ..read more

This Week in HD History  Early November holds two historic milestones in HD research. The first occurred in 1985 before the discovery of the gene that causes HD; neurologist Jean-Paul Vonsattel, MD, and his colleagues published a classification system to understand how HD affects the brain. Using donated brain tissue, the researchers were able to develop a standardized way to link symptoms with signs of brain damage. Brain donation remains a critical tool to improve our understanding of HD. If you’re interested in learning more, click here, or visit HDTrialfinder.org.   The second ac ..read more

Participate in HD research: Online surveys, observational studies, & more   There are dozens of opportunities to participate in HD research that you can explore from home or with the help of your medical provider. HD Trialfinder is a great place to get started seeking HD research opportunities; create a profile and match to studies to see what options may be available to you. HDSA’s online surveys page is also a great place to contribute your voice to studies from the comfort of your own home.   Additionally, Design Science is seeking opinions from people with HD and their partne ..read more

Could plants hold seeds for new HD treatments? HDBuzz reports  Researchers are using plants to look for new routes to treat HD. A group based in Cologne, Germany, is evaluating how plants fight the effects of expanded huntingtin proteins. The scientists found that plants can naturally break down clumps of expanded huntingtin proteins and are looking to see whether this may have clinical applications in humans. HDBuzz explains the details in their latest article; read it here.   HDF Research Webinar: “Brains in a Dish”   On Thursday, November 9, 12-1pm ET, join the Here ..read more

Somatic Instability: HD Buzz reports what’s with all the hype about MSH3  A group of scientists at UMass Chan Medical School have been pursuing a genetic strategy to treat HD that does not involve lowering huntingtin protein. The researchers recently published their findings that targeting a gene called MSH3 may slow down the lengthening of the CAG-repeat tract in the huntingtin gene. But why does this matter for treatment of Huntington’s disease? HDBuzz explains these findings in their most recent article—click here to read their take.     HDSA Centers of Excellence program now ..read more

FDA Launches the START Pilot Program  This week, the FDA launched the Support for clinical Trials Advancing Rare disease Therapeutics (START) Pilot Program to accelerate therapies for rare diseases. A limited number of companies will earn entry into the program. Participants will have the opportunity to meet more frequently with the FDA with the goal of speeding clinical development of drugs targeting rare diseases. While this program is not HD-specific, it is an exciting incentive for smaller companies to prioritize rare disorders like HD in their clinical pipeline. To learn more, click ..read more

AMT-130 highlighted in Drug Discovery News  HD research was put into the spotlight with a feature on uniQure’s experimental gene therapy for the treatment of Huntington’s disease, AMT-130, published last week in Drug Discovery News. The article covers the basic biology of the drug’s approach to treating HD, what we know about the safety and efficacy of uniQure’s approach so far, as well as perspectives from HD clinician, Dr. Ed Wild, and HDSA’s Assistant Director of Research & Patient Engagement, Dr. Leora Fox. To read the full article, click here.   Research Webinar Today: Hered ..read more