Discovery may lead to treatment for Huntington's Disease

Kevin Jess - Huntington's
Disease is a progressive neuro-degenerative disorder that affects
approximately 5 out of every 100,000 people.  Although there is no cure for this terrible disease, there is, in fact,  new hope.

  Since the Huntginton gene

was found in 1993 research on the disease has gradually increased but to
date there is no cure or treatment for the disease.

Last month,
researchers at Buck Institute for Age Research in California discovered a
family of enzymes that are responsible for the breakdown of proteins
that cause the production of toxic fragments that begin the symptoms of
Huntington's Disease (HD).

These enzymes, called MMPs have
already been shown to respond to cancer drugs currently in clinical
trials, therefore the enzymes provide new targets for drug therapies for
HD.

Buck faculty member, Dr. Lisa Ellerby, PH.D said in a press
release, “We've found a target that has known drugs for cancer treatment
that could possibly have significance for HD. MMPs are also involved in
stroke, inflammation and many neurological processes; we expect a lot
of scientific attention to now be focused on this important class of
proteases.”

Dr. Ellerby confirmed that results involving MMPs were verified in mouse models of HD.

“The
next step in this research will be to test some of the MMP inhibitor
drugs as a potential treatment in HD mouse models,” said Ellerby. “We'll
also be crossing mice that no longer have particular, MMPs with those
who have HD to see what effect that has on offspring.”

The
Buck Institute is the only freestanding institute in the United States
that is devoted solely to basic research on aging and age-associated
disease. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization
dedicated to extending the healthspan, the healthy years of each

individual’s life.