Huntington's disease: An update of therapeutic strategies

- Genetic insight and molecular biology of the disease
- Current management and therapeutics
- Drugs against excitotoxicity

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant triplet repeat genetic disease, which results in progressive neuronal degeneration in the neostriatum and neocortex, and associated functional impairments in motor, cognitive, and psychiatric domains. Although the genetic mutation caused by abnormal CAG expansion within the htt gene on chromosome 4p16.3 is identified, the mechanism by which this leads to neuronal cell death and the question of why striatal neurones are targeted both remain unknown. Patients manifest a typical phenotype of sporadic, rapid, involuntary control of limb movement, stiffness of limbs, impaired cognition and severe psychiatric disturbances. There have been a number of therapeutic advances in the treatment of HD, such as fetal neural transplantation, RNA interference (RNAi) and transglutaminase inhibitors (Tgasei). Although there is intensive research into HD and recent findings seem promising, effective therapeutic strategies may not be developed until the next few decades.