Researchers at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) have identified a cellular pathway that allows brain cells to share proteins and other toxic material. The study was recently published in Science Advance.  Huntington’s disease may develop slowly but it is a devastating disease that robs a person of his or her independence and eventually robs them of their lives. There is no cure.

Life expectancy after diagnosis is between ten to twenty years. Children of an affected parent face a fifty percent chance of inheriting Huntington’s disease.

These microscopic tube-like structures known as tunneling nanotubes reduce the spread of the brain’s toxic proteins revealing a new target for therapies with a goal of slowing or preventing disease progression.

Huntington’s Disease – Rhes and SLC4A7

The Rhes protein (SLC4A7) has a key role in Huntington’s disease. It partners with Rhes, a bicarbonate transporter that helps cells regulate internal acidity.

Associate professor and senior author at the Center for Biotechnology and Biology, Srinivasa Subramaniam acknowledges that researchers have known about neurons moving toxic proteins, but this new finding allows a closer look at the process and extends beyond Huntington’s disease to include many types of cancer.

Results of the new study disclose that brain cells use tunneling nanotubes that are tiny structures that pass the toxic Huntington protein to other cells.

SLC4A7 and Rhes work together to manage the cellular tunnels. When the pathway is disrupted in both cells there is a significant reduction in the spread of the toxic protein in the brain.

Distinguished professor and FAU executive director Randy Blakely, Ph.D. explained that current treatment may manage symptoms but will not stop the progression.

The study discloses a new way for cells to communicate and offers powerful new leverage points for therapy.