Stem cell therapy in Bangkok Thailand for Huntington's Disease

Huntington's Disease-What is it and can stem cells help in this disease?

Huntington's disease is fatal genetic brain disorder. Brain cells stop communicating and die off. Similarities in Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease mean there’s overlap in research. A breakthrough in Huntington’s could help move along research into the other brain-robbing diseases. With Huntington’s, it’s a little bit easier because scientists know it’s caused by a single genetic mutation.

"Which offers a huge advantage for this kind of work, because you know who has it – you know exactly what individuals have it, you know when they become symptomatic or who’s going to become symptomatic so you can start treatment early. You can create lines that all have the genetic mutation in them," according to Doctors.

If one of your parents had Huntington’s – which usually strikes between the ages of 35 and 44 – then you have a 50 percent chance of getting it.

The doctors are working on creating models that use Huntington’s Disease stem cell lines so researchers can more quickly test which drugs work.

They're also looking at how mice with Huntington’s Disease react when neural stem cells are injected into their brains.

"The stem cells produce very protective factors to the brain and so if we transplant these cells, certain types of cells, into the brain of, say an HD [Huntington's Disease] mouse, which is what we’re doing right now, they sort of nurse existing neurons that are there and keep them sort of protected," Thompson said.

That suggests a treatment someday that could stop symptoms from progressing or prevent them. Doctors predicts tests on stem cell-based therapies for Huntington’s Disease could start in the next five to 15 years.