Preventing HD

Hayden has implemented the human HD gene in YAC 128 mice, and he has good results preventing the disease from breaking out by the use of drug therapy. The mice was treated very early in the disease course. In short, the process goes on to block the enzyme Caspase 6 in the "cut" of the htt-protein. Next step for Hayden and his collegues is to test the treatment on the HS-patients. Hayden wants to collaborate with other medical environments, and he will conduct the experiment in several places in the world. He is in the beginning phase of planning of the experiment, which he expects will begin end 2009 or 2010. Please notice that the treatment includes approved drugs so it is not an extensive approval process. This means that if Hayden can take lessons from mouse to humans, the medicine could be used on humans in a short period of time – he assumed 3 years.