Gusella, MacDonald, and their fellow researchers in the United States and around the world will continue to work diligently to find a treatment for HD. Much has already been accomplished by dedicated research teams, and many more breakthroughs are soon to come with advances in technology and the development of more accurate animal models of the disease. Once researchers identify the trigger, they can develop an effective treatment that stops the disease cascade early enough to prevent the onset of symptoms.
In the meantime, how can people with HD help the researchers in their quest for a breakthrough? MacDonald said that they can ask their doctors if they can participate in ongoing research, such as clinical trials, genetic studies, or observational studies. To learn more about current research, people with HD should read informative websites like the Huntington Study Group site. MacDonald added that newly diagnosed people should ask their doctors for something to read (a booklet or pamphlet) about managing the symptoms of HD, such as A Physician’s Guide to the Management of Huntington’s Disease, Second Edition by Drs. Adam Rosenblatt, Neal G. Ranen, Martha A. Nance, and Jane S. Paulsen.
“Research is a winding journey from the starting point to where you want to end up,” MacDonald said of the experience of working on HD (or any scientific phenomenon). It has been a long road, and she and Gusella still have miles to go, but they can see their destination - a much-anticipated treatment - on the horizon.
L-R: HOPES team member Shawn Fu, Dr. Marcy MacDonald, and HOPES team member Taylor Altman
Last Modified: 05/22/2009
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