Probably just easier if I list several of the Society for Neurosciences [SfN]
www.sfn.com excellent resources for HD families to download and share, use for
advocacy, awareness, etc.

SfN's Information for the General Public
http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=informationForGeneralPublic
The Society works to educate the public about the findings, applications, and
potential of neuroscience research. Here you will find links to neuroscience
publications and resources that provide information about this exciting field.

SfN's Information for Educators
http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=InformationForEducators
SfN is committed to partnering with educators to engage students in learning
about the brain and nervous system. By integrating current, accurate
neuroscience content into science teaching, SfN will assist in building capacity
for K-12 teachers and enhancing science education.

Huntington's Disease Resources

Huntington's Disease Making a Difference Today
http://www.sfn.org/skins/main/pdf/brss/BRSS_huntingtonsdisease.pdf
This document was discovered by Marsha Miller HDAC/HDL. It was written by the
Society of Neuroscience in 2005. Only 2 pages inPDF format, this document makes
an excellent resource for anyone involved in advocacy for HD, those wanting to
educate people about HD or anyone soliciting support for research funding
through campaigns or fund raisers. It contains a brief explanation about HD, the
background on HD research, the need for continued advances in treatment and the
need for research as well as inform the reader how everyone can Make a
Difference Tomorrow by supporting research Today! This is also one of the first
papers to talk of the annual cost in the US from HD [$2 billion annually].

Brain Briefing - Huntington's Disease March 2006
http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainBriefings_huntingtons_disease
The outlook for those with the devastating disorder Huntington's disease is
improving. Already the discovery that a faulty version of a gene causes the
brain ailment has led to the development of a direct genetic test that can help
confirm a diagnosis. What's more, it has helped reveal new insights that are
generating excitement for possible future treatments. In one line of work,
researchers are determining how the abnormal gene leads to the progressive
degeneration and death of brain cells that underlie the disorder and are finding
ways to slow the process.

SfN's Brain Briefings is a series of two-page newsletters explaining how basic
neuroscience discoveries lead to clinical applications. The Brain Briefings
newsletter series is prepared for a lay audience. Go to this link for all
topics: http://www.sfn.org/?pagename=brainBriefings_chrolongical

Brain Facts 2006
http://www.sfn.org/index.cfm?pagename=brainfacts
OK, yes I've talked about this one before.....but May 2007, Huntington's Disease
Awareness Month, is just around the corner and Brain Facts 2006 is available!
Brain Facts is a 64-page primer on the brain and nervous system. It serves as a
starting point for a lay audience interested in neuroscience. SfN sent us copies
of a previous edition of this brochure, free, that we used as a handout at the
Florida HD Conference in 2004. You can download the current 2006 revised
edition, or request printed copies, on the above SfN's website.

Few tidbits from the 2006 edition:

CHALLENGES Page 43 Huntington's Disease - But the cause of HD probably involves
the gain of a new and toxic function. Cell and transgenic animal models can
replicate many features of the disease and are now being used to test new
theories and therapies. Clinical and observational trials are being conducted.
Any of these may yield an effective treatment that would slow the progression of
or delay onset of the disease while researchers continue working toward a cure.

NEW DRUGS Page 52 - Other promising candidates for drug therapies include
trophic factors, antibodies engineered to specifically modify the interactions
and toxicity of misfolded proteins, small molecules that take advantage of
specific biochemical pathways, interfering RNAs (RNAi) that reduce toxic levels
of individual proteins, and stem cells that could replace dead or dying neurons.

Promising preliminary results have been obtained for Huntington's, Parkinson's,
Alzheimer's, and prion diseases. For example, fruit flies (Drosophila) that get
Huntington's disease (HD) because they have been modified to carry the mutant
human gene are generally too weak and uncoordinated to break out of their pupal
case the way normal insects do. However, when they also express the gene for an
anti-HD antibody, all of them can emerge as young adults. Furthermore, these
treated flies live longer than the untreated ones that do manage to emerge, and
the treated ones show less pathology in their brains.

Graphic - CELL AND GENE THERAPY - In potential therapy techniques, scientists
plan to insert genetic material for a beneficial neurotransmitter or trophic
factor into stem cells or a virus. The cells or virus are then put into a
syringe and injected into the patient where they will produce the beneficial
molecule and, it is hoped, improve symptoms.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]