In the past, a diagnosis of Huntington’s disease offered the patient absolutely no hope. It was understood that a downward trajectory was the only way the disease would play out, ending in death.
Today however, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
Researchers are examining a drug that was in clinical trials to treat diabetes, but didn’t meet the criteria for approval. It is this drug that is shining a beacon of light into the Huntington’s community. KD3010, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, improved symptoms in mice, and human testing will most likely begin within the next 18 months.
History professor at the University of San Diego, Kenneth Serbin, inherited the gene mutation that causes Huntington’s disease, and although he has yet to experience symptoms, he watched his mother pass away from complications of Huntington’s. He is looking forward to the day when treatment will modify the disease and re-classify it as a chronic, and not a fatal, condition.
Are you or a loved one living with Huntington’s Disease? Support is available! Contact the Huntington’s Disease Society of America!
