It was a pleasure to see so many faces, familiar and new, in Atlanta for the 37th Annual HDSA Convention, in addition to our audience who joined in the fun from home. Thank you to all who made this event so special! We are excited to be able to share all Convention content with you in the near future. Thanks for your patience as we work on the many recordings. When they have been finalized and made available online, we will be sure to let you know.
New HD Staging System for Clinical Research Unveiled Today
Our HDSA Convention keynote research speaker, Dr. Sarah Tabrizi of University College London, spoke last week about a new system for categorizing people with Huntington’s disease. Called the Huntington’s disease integrated staging system (HD-ISS), this is a clinical research tool that places people with HD along a disease spectrum, based on brain imaging and clinical tests. Similar to how cancer staging systems are used universally in research and care, the HD-ISS aims ultimately to standardize how we study and treat HD. It was created by a large forum of scientists, doctors, and regulators, and it’s a big step towards being able to conduct HD research trials in people who don’t yet have symptoms. To learn more, check out this article published by the University College London, and for a deeper dive head over to HDBuzz.
HD Clinical Trials Corner: Experts update on clinical research
The HD Clinical Trials Corner has returned to the Journal of Huntington’s Disease! In this publication, experts in HD offer the community a rundown on ongoing and completed clinical trials. This issue highlights GENERATION HD1, PRECISION-HD1 and PRECISION-HD2 trials, as well as the ongoing SELECT-HD and VIBRANT-HD trials, and lists all currently registered and ongoing clinical trials in Huntington’s disease. To read the full update, click here.
HDSA SAB member, Dr. Harry Orr, awarded prestigious Kavli Prize
The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience recognizes transformative research from innovative scientists prioritizing public understanding of their work and international collaboration. As part of an international team of four scientists, Dr. Harry Orr, Tulloch Professor of Genetics in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at University of Minnesota, and Director of University of Minnesota’s Institute of Translational Neuroscience, as well a member of HDSA’s Scientific Advisory Board, was recently awarded this distinction for his work on spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1), a neurodegenerative disease affecting motor coordination and cognition. Like HD, SCA1 occurs due to a CAG repeat expansion. Dr. Orr and his collaborators will continue to develop this work in search of new therapies for SCA1, HD, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
