Potential Molecular Defense Against Huntington's Disease

A team of researchers from the University of Leicester have identified a potential defense against Huntington's Disease, a fatal neurodegenerative disorder which has no cure. This disease is progressive and mutant protein called huntingtin, which results in an expanded CAG repeat. The researchers have identified glutathione peroxidase activity,an antioxidant in cells, protects against symptoms of the disease. They hope this enzyme activity can be further developed and eventually used to treat people. They used model systems such as baker's yeast, fruit flies and cultured mammalian cells to help discover these mechanisms of defense. There are drug compounds that mimic the glutathione peroxidase activity that have been tested on humans already and can possibly be used to treat people. I have never personally met anyone with Huntington's disease but I have heard about how bad it is, how it is a dominant disorder and how there is still no cure. It is always passed down in families and I think finding a cure is very important because of the number of lives it takes every year.