There are so many exciting things happening in HD research in the world today!
Thank heaven for the HD Lighthouse Editors for keeping up with them all and
providing us with editorals to help us better understand not only the research
but how it may affect us today or in the future.........THANK YOU!!!


Low brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in serum of Huntington's
disease patients.
Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet.
2007 Jun 5;144B(4):574-577
HD Lighthouse Editoral [go to link for full article]
http://www.hdlighthouse.org/research/bdnf/updates/1465BDNF.php
-- Marsha L. Miller, Ph.D. Posted to the HDL: 18 May 2007
The sample was small and the study was not longitudinal so more work will need
to be done but it looks like BDNF levels in serum may turn out to be a biomarker
for disease progression. It is important for researchers to find and validate
biomarkers so that clinical trial time can be reduced and those who have not
reached clinical onset as it is currently defined can be included in clinical
trials. When treatments become available, biomakers may be used to identify when
gene carriers should start taking them.


Huntingtin Interacting Proteins Are Genetic Modifiers of Neurodegeneration
Full study in HTML:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=1750059\
5
PDF document:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1866352&blobtype=pdf
PLoS Genet. 2007 May 11;3(5):e82.
HD Lighthouse Editoral [go to link for full article]
http://www.hdlighthouse.org/abouthd/updates/1447protein%20interaction.php
-- Marsha L. Miller, Ph.D. Posted to the HDL: 18 May 2007
This is important research because we still do not fully understand the
functions of the normal huntingtin's protein, nor have we identified all the
pathologies caused by the HD protein and their relative importance in the
disease. This kind of research promises to shorten the time it takes to develop
significant treatments by identifying major targets for drug development or gene
therapy.



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