New study identifies potential ‘switches’ for neurodegenerative diseases

A new study has revealed that certain neurodegenerative diseases could be controlled by chemical switches that may be targeted by future therapies.

The University of Montreal team have found a way of protecting neurons that express mutant huntingtin proteins among Huntington's disease sufferers, preventing the cell death within the brain that characterises the condition.

Huntington's disease affects between six and seven people out of every 100,000 in the UK and is a fatal genetic disease that slowly diminishes the capabilities of the brain.

However, this study showed that by increasing another cell chemical called progranulin, the accumulation of the mutant proteins can be combated – a finding that was confirmed both in worm test subjects and in sample mammalian cells.

Dr Alex Parker, of the University of Montreal's Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, said this approach "may protect against neurodegenerative diseases other than Huntington's disease".

It is thought that efforts to combat conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and dementia could benefit from this new research.