New hope of cure for brain disorder

RESEARCHERS in Scotland and Germany have made a discovery that could lead to the development of a cure for Huntington’s Disease.

Scientists from Dundee University are part of a team that has identified a group of three molecules which regulate the production of the defective Huntingtin protein that causes the disease.

It may be a major step towards controlling the establishment of the disease, which affects one in 10,000 people in the west.

The results have been welcomed by suppor t groups in the UK. About 1000 people in Scotland, and 11,500 in England and Wales, live with the condition.

Hunting ton’s is a hereditary, and so-far incurable, brain disorder that affects muscle co-ordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems.

It is caused by a mutation in either of an individual’s two copies of Huntingtin, which means any child of an affected person typically has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease.

The scientists say if they can find a way of influencing the gene complex with drugs, they may be able to affect the production of the defective Huntingtin protein. That would not just treat the symptoms but also the causes of the disease.

“This is a very promising strategy to develop a small molecule drug therapy to inhibit the production of disease-making protein,” said Professor Susann Schweiger of the University of Dundee and Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

John Eden, chief executive of the Scottish Huntington’s Association said: “It opens up possibilities for future treatments for this devastating condition.”