New research provides hope for treating Huntington's disease. Scientists used baker's yeast to identify genes involved in translation that may protect against Huntington's. This suggests a potential new drug target. Separate research found the protein DRP1 is overactive in Huntington's, causing excessive mitochondrial division. Reducing DRP1 activity restored mitochondrial health and improved neuron survival, indicating DRP1 inhibition could delay disease onset. Understanding the disease mechanisms allows developing better treatments and possibly a cure.

1. NEW HOPES FOR HUNTINGTON DISEASE HEYLY MILENA ORTEGA THIRD SEMESTER MEDICINE UPB 2011-I

4. INTRODUCTION Huntington disease is autosomic dominant disorder, causes by a repeating of a CAG sequence Actually there are no many treatments that help improve the develop of the disease

5. New Hope in Fight Against Huntington's DiseaseScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2011) APRIL 4, 2011 MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA BIBLIOGRAFÍA. .MARTINEZ S. Lina María. Biología molecular. 5. ed. Medellín: UPB. Fac. de Medicina, 2006. pp 196 .TAUBER. E, New Hope in FightAgainstHuntington'sDisease, ScienceDaily. Jan. 18, 2011 .CHEN. J, A major leap forward in understanding Huntington's disease may give patients hope for a cure. Science Daily. Feb. 23, 2011 MEDICAL UTILITY NEW HOPES FOR HUNTINGTON`S DISEASE This two articles have relevance in the medical ambit, because the Huntington disease, is a disease wich has been taking importance in our actual society, and taking into count that there are 35.000 people afected by this disease anually (3), to be able to find new cures or treatments for delay the the appearance of the disease could reduce the mortality of the disease Heyly Milena Ortega Third semester Molecular biology TEACHER: Lina Martinez

6. New Hope in Fight Against Huntington's Disease The studies with baker's yeast, are used regularly for the implementation of new drugs specially for neurodegenerative disease, like Parkinson disease, that's why they chose it for this trial. In some other studies its also been used the drosophila melanogaster. (2)

7. research has taken advantage of cutting edge genomics approaches using a simple model organism to identify a novel area for potential therapeutic intervention for Huntington's disease and try to develop a new drug that can be used for treatment of this disease. (2) New Hope in Fight Against Huntington's Disease

8. Using this mechanism of investigation with baker´s yeast, scientist found many of the protective genes are involved in translation -- a cellular process in which messenger RNA (mRNA) is decoded by the ribosome to produce specific proteins; the HD has not been related with this mechanism in the past. With this they could find a way to create a new drug following this principle. (2) New Hope in Fight Against Huntington's Disease

9. PERSONAL OPINION To discover new ways of treat the Huntington disease, and be able to understand the mechanism of the disease offers the community new advantages over the HD, cause be could finally been getting closer to the discovery of an effective treatment for this disease, and even cure it.

10. A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD IN UNDERSTANDING HUNTINGTON`S DISEASE MAY GIVE PATIENNTS HOPE FOR A CUREScience Daily (Feb. 23, 2011)

11. A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD IN UNDERSTANDING HUNTINGTON`S DISEASE MAY GIVE PATIENNTS HOPE FOR A CURE DRP1 is needed for mitochondrial division. The scientists found that in Huntington's disease, DRP1 becomes overactive and causes too much mitochondrial division without balancing fusion; toning down the reaction might kept the brain cells alive.(3)

12. They were gonna try to see in patients and animals, if this protein (DRP1), has a protecting role in the brain; if that's the case this could be implemented in patients with the mutant gene before the apparition of the disease.(3) A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD IN UNDERSTANDING HUNTINGTON`S DISEASE MAY GIVE PATIENNTS HOPE FOR A CURE

13. A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD IN UNDERSTANDING HUNTINGTON`S DISEASE MAY GIVE PATIENNTS HOPE FOR A CURE They`re hope is to delay the onset of disease by improving the energy metabolism of the brain. The scientist team toned down the activity of DRP1, showing restored a normal balance of mitochondrial division and fusion and improved the energy metabolism and survival of neurons.(3)

14. PERSONAL OPINION This is a good and refreshing discovery for the treatment of Huntington disease, if they can approach to use the toning down of the protein DRP1, it will be good for the patients not having to wait for the disease beginning to look if there is a treatment to control it, but they could prevent the develop of HD, I think this could be very beneficial for the patients, and propose a great advance in Huntington disease treatment.

15. MEDICAL UTILITY

17. According to the finding of the relation of the DRP1 with the neurogenic decrease of HD, toning down the protein would help to stop the develop of the disease, without having to wait until the apparition of the disease, and using it in patients with the mutant gene, it could give us better results, cause the damages in the brain haven't started yet, and it could be even possible to make them not to appear. (3) MEDICAL UTILITY

18. BILIOGRAPHY 1. MARTINEZ S. LinaMaría. Biología molecular. 5. ed. Medellín: UPB. Fac. de Medicina, 2006. pp 196 2. TAUBER. E. et al, New Hope in Fight Against Huntington's Disease, ScienceDaily. Jan. 18, 2011 3. CHEN. J. et al, A major leap forward in understanding Huntington's disease may give patients hope for a cure. Science Daily. Feb. 23, 2011

19. THANKS