Scientific investigations using positron emission tomography (PET) and other technologies are enabling scientists to see what the defective gene does to various structures in the brain, and how it affects the body's chemistry and metabolism.

 

Laboratory animals, such as mice, are being bred in the hope of duplicating the clinical features of Huntington's disease and can soon be expected to help scientists learn more about the symptoms and progression of the disease.

 

Investigators are implanting fetal tissue in rodents and nonhuman primates with the hope that success in this area will lead to understanding, restoring, or replacing functions typically lost by neuronal degeneration in individuals with Huntington's disease.

 

Huntington's Disease Research: Potential Benefits of Participation

In order for some Huntington's disease research to be conducted, volunteers are needed. Patients who join Huntington's disease research studies have the first chance to benefit from treatments that have shown promise in earlier research. They also make an important contribution to medical science by helping doctors learn more about Huntington's disease. Although Huntington's disease research trials may pose some risks, researchers take careful steps to protect their patients.