A study conducted in UK on fruit flies suggests that a novel approach in treating Huntington’s disease may have been found. The terminal disease occurred due to degeneration of nerve cell, steadily impairs sufferer’s ability to function. The growth of neurodegenration, which is a key aspect in Huntington’s disease, is sluggish by researchers, by aiming at a particular enzyme in fruit-flies.
The research team found that by shrinking the activity of certain enzyme called as KMO, diminished the number of neurons dying in the fruit flies. They also found that aiming at other related enzymes having chemicals improved symptoms of Huntington’s disease in fruit flies.
According to Dr Giorgini study author from the University of Leicester, this breakthrough is significant because currently there exist no drug that could halt the progression or delay the onset of the Huntington’s disease. Since they have identified a real target and there are chemicals which can act on the target.
There is likelihood that they could develop drugs to delay the onset of the condition. They would like to look in closer detail at the other enzymes in the similar alleyway and to develop new inhibitors of KMO, added Dr Giorgini. The related study conducted in US also proposes that the enzymes could be a key target for therapy.
The US researchers found symptoms of Huntington’s disease in mouse model, which could be diminished by blocking the same enzyme. They have developed a new composite called JM6, which blocks the enzyme and reduced the brain inflammation in mouse model. While working on mouse model they also found that JM6 also prevents memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease.
The invention has considerable insinuations for two distressing diseases and recommends that the KMO enzyme is a good protein to target with medications in dissimilar neurodegenerative disorders, explained Prof Lennart Mucke from the Gladstone Institute, where the study was carried out.