Saturday, July 29, 2006

Study identifies potential drug target for Huntington's disease

Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
Posted: July 28, 2006

Summary:

An enzyme known to be critical for the repair of damaged cells and the maintenance of cellular energy may be a useful target for new strategies to treat Huntington's disease (HD) and other disorders characterized by low cellular energy levels. In the August issue of Chemistry & Biology, a research team from the Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) describes their discovery of a novel inhibitor of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP1) and their findings that PARP1 inhibitors can protect HD-affected cells from damage in laboratory assays.

Commentary: Hopefully this enzyme can be translated into effective therapeutic applications for treatment of Huntington's Diseases, and also be used to treat other neurodegenerative diseases and neurological disorders.

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