Study Demonstrates How Huntington’s Disease Proteins Spread

In a new discovery published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers from the University of California, Irvine, identified in spinal fluid, how the characteristic mutant proteins of Huntington’s disease spread from cell to cell. The research team then created a new method to quickly and accurately track the presence and proliferation of these neuron-damaging compounds — a discovery that could potentially accelerate the development of new drugs. The cell-to-cell “seeding” property of the mutant proteins seems to be a critical part of the disease’s progression. As part of their study, the researchers introduced a new screening test that measures mutant huntingtin protein seeding in cerebrospinal fluid. This assay distinguishes symptomatic Huntington’s disease subjects — who have high seeding activity — from gene carriers not yet showing symptoms — who have lower seeding activity. Fluid samples from non-HD individuals do not exhibit this seeding property. “Determining if a treatment modifies the course of a neurodegenerative disease like Huntington’s or Alzheimer’s may take years of clinical observation,” said the study’s lead author. “This assay that reflects a pathological process can play a key role in more rapidly developing an effective treatment. Blocking the cell-to-cell seeding process itself may turn out to be an effective treatment strategy.” To read more about this study, click here.