For the first time in two years, scientists, clinicians, and industry partners convened in Palm Springs, CA for CHDI foundation’s 17th Annual HD Therapeutics Conference. While the meeting is catered to the scientific experts, the HDBuzz team was on the scene to break down the technical aspects of each presentation into a highlight reel for the HD community.
Day One of the conference was focused on research updates from top HD labs around the world. The day progressed from the ground up, beginning with investigations of the building blocks of huntingtin protein, how HD affects individual brain cells of different types, variables affecting CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene, how the huntingtin gene is turned into functional huntingtin protein, and what huntingtin protein does in the body and how its functions are affected by HD. To read the full Day One update directly from the editors of HDBuzz, click here.
Day two focused on innovative therapeutic approaches for HD. Presentations included updates from scientists across the country, including CRISPR innovations and Triplet’s study of CAG repeat expansion and HD symptom progression. Topics also included how the brain’s immune support cells can be overactivated in HD, and how stem cells can help improve our understanding of HD. Read more Day Two insights from the editors of HDBuzz here.
Day three featured a deep dive on biomarkers and clinical tools for diagnosing HD, and updates from pharmaceutical leaders developing therapeutics for HD. CHDI’s Biomarker task force provided insight on how analyzing blood, spinal fluid, and brain images can help to predict progression of HD and improve clinical trial design. Day two also featured updates from Roche on latest data analysis from GENERATION HD-1, insights from uniQure on their gene therapy trial in HD, as well as presentations from Wave, PTC Therapeutics, and Novartis on huntingtin-lowering therapies in the pipeline. To read the day three recap in full, click here.
Registration for the 37th Annual HDSA Convention is now open!
On the heels of the CHDI conference, Virtual HDYO Congress, and Virtual HSC National Conference, HDSA looks forward to meeting with the HD community in-person for the first time in 3 years! Join HDSA on June 9-11, 2022 for the 37th Annual HDSA Convention at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia. Following COVID-19 safety recommendations, HDSA will be capping the number of in-person attendees and providing mandatory safety protocols. If you are unable to join us in person, every session throughout the 37th Annual HDSA Convention will be live-streamed for remote participation. To learn more about registering to attend in-person or virtually, scholarships, and more, visit HDSA’s website here. Scholarships to attend Convention will be due next week on March 15.
