The Future of Aging

Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease (Huntington's chorea) is an inherited neurological disorder that begins subtly, usually in midlife. Symptoms worsen as the disease progresses and include rapid, jerky involuntary movements, difficulty in speaking and swallowing, cognitive decline, depression, and occasionally delusions, hallucinations and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Some 30,000 Americans are affected by Huntington’s disease, and another 150,000 run the risk of developing it.

Although drugs can help relieve some of the symptoms, there currently is no cure or treatment for Huntington’s disease. People with the disease usually die within 8-25 years after symptoms first appear. However, researchers are developing new approaches to treat this disorder thanks to the discovery of the Huntington’s disease gene in 1993. Scientists found that the gene produces a protein called “huntingtin.” This protein occurs in cells and is found throughout the body—not just in the brain where there is heavy damage. Scientists are investigating the possibility of developing new therapies that could uncouple the Huntington’s disease gene from potentially harmful interactions.

Beeson Scholars researching Huntington's disease

Peptide Inhibitors Of Pathologic Polyglutamine-Protein Interactions
James R. Burke, Duke University Medical Center (1997 Scholar)