Huntington's disease: new hope for therapeutics

Huntington's disease (HD) is one of eight progressive neurodegenerative disorders in which the underlying mutation is a CAG expansion encoding a polyglutamine tract. There are currently no cures or even effective therapies for HID. Effective strategies have remained elusive because little is known about either the mechanisms of expansion or the mechanism of polyglutamine-mediated neuronal death. However, recent advances in understanding the basic mechanisms of expansion and toxicity have renewed hope that a therapeutic strategy might someday be possible. Strategies effective in the treatment of HD are likely to be relevant in the treatment of a range of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.