November 8, 2007

A breakthrough in the treatment of Huntington’s Disease (HD) may soon be possible, thanks to the findings of an international study.  Melbourne University researchers have played a large part in this study, which runs for 7 years and began in 2002. 

With 100 volunteers, Melbourne University is the largest group participating in PREDICT-HD, a longitudinal research project in 32 centres across the world which studies hundreds of people who carry the HD gene.

PREDICT-HD,(Neurobiological Predictors of Huntington’s Disease) aims to identify early brain and behavioural changes in people who carry the gene, but are currently healthy and have no symptoms, in order to define the point when therapy can begin. HD is a genetic disease and each person with an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease, the same chance as tossing a coin.

Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Huntington’s Disease Association (AHDA)Victoria, Ruth Hertan said the study was vital, as all people who test positive for the gene will develop symptoms sometime in the future and there is no known cure.

“In Victoria, 370 people are diagnosed with HD and a further 2,500 at risk of developing the disease, but HD affected many more thousands through the impact of this disease on whole families,” Ms Hertan said.

“HD symptoms typically develop between the ages of 35 and 45 but because the symptoms develop so subtly and they can vary so much, it is difficult for doctors to know when to start treatment.”

PREDICT-HD involves volunteers coming in to the clinic once a year for an MRI and othertests of cognitive function.

Dr Olga Yastrubetskaya Research Manager of PREDICT-HD (from the University of Melbourne St George’s Hospital site) said preliminary results from the internationalstudy showed changes in the brain imaging and cognitive function of people who carry the gene but have not yet developed symptoms.

“This is important because researchers can now focus their research on therapeutic treatments on preventive clinical trials of potential medication to delay the onset of this illness”, Dr Yastrubetskaya said.

“We are excited that in the near future, a clinical trial of possible therapeutic drugs will begin in Melbourne.”

Ms Hertan said this was an encouraging development because, for the first time, researchers will know the point at which the disease begins and can target their efforts there.

“It will help researchers to focus their efforts and to measure if their therapeutic drugs have any effect and we hope this is astep towards developing agents that can delay the onset of symptoms.”

The Association is hosting scientists, researchers, service providersand people with the disease at a presentation tonight as part of Awareness Week (4-10 November, 2007).