THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant, progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by chorea and dystonia, as well as cognitive, emotional, behavioral and psychiatric abnormalities. To date, a cure for the disease remains elusive, although there are products available that provide symptomatic relief. Unfortunately, several of these agents can be associated with potentially serious adverse effects and none cure the disease. Examples include antipsychotics and benzodiazepines to improve chorea and psychiatric symptoms, beta-adrenoceptor blockers for controlling aggressiveness and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for depressive symptoms. However, due to the numerous and complex mechanisms involved in the selective neurodegeneration seen in HD, no potential pharmacotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in curing or slowing disease progression to date. Researchers actively continue to search for effective treatments for HD, with special attention given to the identification of novel targets for therapeutic intervention. This article presents those drug targets that are currently under active investigation for the treatment of HD.