For those new to this...Miraxion is a purified form of EPA, a fish oil derivative. If you have Huntington's Disease, talk to your doctor about taking 1 gram's worth of EPA twice every day. That's roughly equivalent to the doses being used in Miraxion's Phase III trial.

The outstanding researchers at the University of Iowa interviewed Huntington's Disease patients on the issue of depression. Half reported that they had sought treatment for depression and more than 10% had at least one suicide attempt.The researchers conclude that many HD patients are being adequately treated for depression.

Since there is evidence that anti-depressents not only reduces the chance of suicide but also might slow the progression of Huntington's Disease...Why aren't more people with HD prescribed an anti-depressant?

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2005 Fall;17(4):496-502.

Depression and stages of Huntington's disease.
Paulsen JS, Nehl C, Hoth KF, Kanz JE, Benjamin M, Conybeare R, McDowell B, Turner B.

University of Iowa, 1-305 Medical Education Building, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. jane-paulsen@uiowa.edu

Individuals with manifest Huntington's disease (HD) were interviewed with regard to the presence, frequency, and severity of depression symptoms to better characterize depressed mood across the disease course in HD. Rates of depression were more than twice that found in the general population. One-half reported that they had sought treatment for depression, and more than 10% reported having at least one suicide attempt. The proportion of HD patients endorsing significant depression diminished with disease progression. Despite the public health impact of depression, available treatments are underutilized in HD, and research is needed to document the efficacy and effectiveness of standard depression treatments in this population.

PMID: 16387989

It appears that two things worked in his favor...he had a good attorney and a judge who understood Huntington's disease.

[Judge] Katz worked with the prosecution and defense lawyers to allow Haskins to keep his prized possession until his probation ends in late 2007 -- as long as it doesn't move from its spot near the apartment.

"He sands it, shines it up, got it so it runs. To take it away would really devastate him," said Lorin Duckman, Haskins' lawyer. "This was a great solution to a difficult problem."

Katz declined to comment on the case, but Duckman said the unusual sentence came partly because of the nature of Haskins' physical limitations.

Ralph Nader's group, Public Citizen, has been campaigning the FDA for years to ban various medications because they feel the risks are too high. They, and other groups , have focused their attention on drugs that are used to treat mental disorders in children and teenagers. Many feel that such drugs should not be prescribed (or at least prescribed much less).

Users of Permoline (Cylert) are now victims to this campaigning as the FDA has pulled Permoline from the market. Permaline was originally released as a treatment for ADHD, however it has found to be useful in the treatment of fatigue in M.S. and Narcolepsy.

One victim is Teresa Nielsen Hayden of the Making Light blog. Permoline has been the only drug that has worked against her Narcolepsy. Now she nothing to help her with her disease.

So what was the FDA's reason for pulling Permoline from the market? Some people taking Permoline developed liver problems (and many people didn't). Originally, to address this, the FDA issued a "black box" warning asking to doctors to regularly check the livers of patients taking this medication and to stop use of the medication if a problem developed.

Teresa Nielsen Hayden's liver is fine, she had been regularly tested. However, her narcolepsy isn't. Now she has no options. Since narcolepsy is a "rare" disease, similar in numbers to Huntington's Disease, they don't have as much influence with the FDA as Public Citizen.

It's a crying shame.

Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds.

The researchers found that the risk of attempted suicide was 60 percent lower in the month after treatment began and that it continued to decline. While the overall risk for suicide was higher for adolescents than adults, the reduction in risk was about the same for both groups. When the researchers specifically examined 10 of the newest antidepressants, such as Prozac -- the ones that have come under the most suspicion -- they found that the risk was even lower.

Variety reports that Michael Moore's new movie "Sicko" is due to hit theaters this fall. I stand by what I wrote a year ago:

I didn't see his last film, "Fahrenheit 9/11" though I know it has its fans & critics, but let me tell you about one that hit close to home - "Bowling for Columbine". I live near Columbine High School and I saw his distortions. I would even call them lies. Some examples that I can confirm from local coverage: The killers didn't go bowling, the Lockheed plant makes rockets for satellites not WMD's, he lied about the plaque & the plane, and many who appeared in the film state they were deceived by him.

Having seen his work first hand, my belief is his pharmaceutical movie will be filled in a similar, misleading way. That can't be good for the industry.

And how has the pharmaceutical industry done over the past year? Not so good:

Not that long ago, investors thought of drug stocks as protection against the economy's troughs and as opportunities for growth in rising markets. But Big Pharma's struggles of recent years have sent many once-supportive shareholders scrambling for something stronger.

The Amex Pharmaceutical Index, which tracks mostly big companies, trails both the S&P 500 and the Amex Biotechnology Index at intervals of six months, one year, two years and five years.

It takes money to make cures for diseases like Huntington's Disease. It hurts us all when investors no longer wish to invest in the pharmaceutical industry.

However, there is one bright spot and it is biotechnology. Investors are still flooding in as companies start to make some real progress. Overall, biotechnology stocks were up 25% for 2005. Sirna Therapeutics, which has a very promising Huntington's Disease program, saw its stocks end the year about where it started at a little over $3 a share.

The Government has agreed to amend the Disability Discrimination Act to ban employers from requiring employees to provide them with results of genetic tests, and to clarify the definition of disability to include a genetic predisposition to a disability, making it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees on the basis of their genetics.

The Government has also agreed to make it an offence to test someone's genetic information without their consent.

Earlier this year, the Government announced it would partially implement the key recommendation of the commission, to establish a Human Genetics Commission to advise the public and government on present and emerging issues in genetic technology, among other roles.

My (new) wife doesn't understand it when I say that. She thinks I'm a wonderful writer. Perhaps what I should be saying is "I wish I was a better communicator". Of course, some would say that by virtue of my being born male I come with a natural disability to communicate. They might be right.

Gene Veritas has the ability to communicate. He's written another wonderful article on this At Risk For Huntington's Disease blog.

In his latest he touches on spirituality and the "Why?" question. As I read his article I'm reminded at how reluctant I am to mention religion when I'm writing on this blog. After all, I don't want to "offend" any one. That would be insensitive. Or at least that is my worry.

But I see Gene and his father struggling with the same questions that I and others face in our lives. "Why?" being the big question. And while I occasionally fool myself into believing that I have the answer...I eventually find myself second-guessing my "answers".

I suspect part of the elusive "answer" can be found here in what Gene wrote:

Over the past fifteen years, it has helped him care for my mother day after day and to accept her gradual but inexorable decline into the infant-like helplessness HD causes.

“You’ve shown a lot of strength,” I told him as we went out for a drive one night.

“I didn’t know how much I loved your mother until these past few years, taking care of her and seeing how much she has lost,” he said.

His father's faith gave him strength and it allowed him to learn the depth of his love for his wife. A gift wrapped in a tragedy. To me, I see that Gene's compassion was learned from (at least) his father's example. As a result, his writings in his blog allows others to know that they are not alone in their struggle.

And what a struggle. I've seen the same struggle watching a dear friend when she visited her father in a nursing home. She too, found comfort and strength through her faith. While we don't cross paths anymore, she's stil included in my prayers. Next time I'm adding Gene and his family to my prayers. While I can't prove that prayer makes a difference...I believe that it does.

For those that might find such beliefs to be quaint (or even offensive), prayer for others is done out of selfless compassion. Is that really such a bad thing??

Don't forget to visit Gene's blog.

It's very humbling to read 'thank you' notes from people I've never met. It means a lot.

The mice, genetically engineered to develop HD, were treated with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a protein that has been shown to increase the growth of new blood vessels in human clinical trials. In the Buck study, the use of FGF-2 resulted in a 150 percent increase in new cells in the Huntington's mouse brain, compared to a 30 percent increase in wild type mice (non-genetically engineered). Treatment extended the lifespan of the affected mice by 20 percent; the animals also exhibited improved motor performance, decreased cell death and a reduction in the amount of toxic aggregates that typically form in the brains of those affected by HD.

The full press release:

Buck Institute study shows potential for new avenue of treatment for incurable, hereditary brain disorder

Mice with Huntington's disease (HD) grew a significant number of new neurons and lived longer after treatment with a well known growth factor. The research, published the week of November 28, 2005 in the on-line edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), highlights a potential new therapeutic approach for a fatal, hereditary, degenerative brain disorder that affects approximately 30,000 Americans.

The mice, genetically engineered to develop HD, were treated with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a protein that has been shown to increase the growth of new blood vessels in human clinical trials. In the Buck study, the use of FGF-2 resulted in a 150 percent increase in new cells in the Huntington's mouse brain, compared to a 30 percent increase in wild type mice (non-genetically engineered). Treatment extended the lifespan of the affected mice by 20 percent; the animals also exhibited improved motor performance, decreased cell death and a reduction in the amount of toxic aggregates that typically form in the brains of those affected by HD.

"Efforts to understand and encourage neurogenesis, the growth of new neurons, comprise an emerging area of study as we explore potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases," said Lisa Ellerby, PhD, lead scientist of the study. "In this case, the new brain cells migrated to the area of the brain affected by Huntington's disease and assumed the features of the type of neuron commonly lost in HD," said Ellerby. The FGF-2 was administered subcutaneously (by injection under the skin) to the mice, indicating that the protein can cross the blood-brain barrier, another factor that shows promise in the development of new therapies for the disease, according to Ellerby.

There is currently no effective treatment or cure for HD, which is typically characterized by involuntary movements and dementia. The disease slowly diminishes a person's ability to move, think and communicate. Those affected eventually become totally dependent on others for their care and usually die from complications such as choking, heart failure or infection. The disease is hereditary; each child of a person with HD has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the fatal gene. Approximately 200,000 Americans are believed to be at risk of developing HD, a disease that affects as many people as hemophilia, cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy. The symptoms of HD typically begin to appear in mid-life, although the progression of the disease varies among individuals and within the same family.

""We welcome the encouraging knowledge generated by Dr. Ellerby's study that FGF2 improves neurological function and longevity in HD transgenic mice," said Carl Johnson, PhD, Executive Director for Science, Hereditary Disease Foundation. " We look forward to further studies aimed at clarifying how FGF2 protects either through neurogenesis or through direct neuroprotection or both. These are promising studies and should be pursued," said Johnson.

Nancy Wexler, President of the Hereditary Disease Foundation added, "Despite recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of HD, therapeutics that significantly slow or stop the disease are lacking. We encourage research that facilitates the discovery and development of therapies and cures for Huntington's disease".

Joining Ellerby as co-authors of the paper are Buck Institute scientists Kunlin Jin, MD, PhD; Michelle LaFevre-Bernt, PhD; Yunjuan Sun, MD; Sylvia Chen, PhD; Juliette Gafni, PhD; Danielle Crippen, BA; Anna Loginova, MD; and David Greenberg, MD, PhD along with Christopher Ross, MD, PhD, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Huntington's Disease Society of America, the Hereditary Disease Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The Buck Institute is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to extending the healthspan, the healthy years of each individual's life. Buck Institute scientists work in an innovative, interdisciplinary setting to understand the mechanisms of aging and to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, stroke, and arthritis. Collaborative research at the Institute is supported by genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics technology.

Neurologix, Inc. today announced findings from preclinical studies, which showed that the gene XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis) may prevent the progression of Huntington's disease. Neurologix scientists demonstrated that a mutated form of the gene delivered by an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, introduced using standard neurosurgical techniques can improve motor deficits associated with the disease. ...

Using cell culture models of the disease, the researchers showed that a truncated form of XIAP lacking the RING domain (RING) may significantly reduce cell death caused by a mutated form of human huntingtin gene.

The researchers further investigated the neuroprotective effects of dXIAP in a transgenic animal model by injecting presymptomatic mice with AAV vectors encoding dXIAP into the striatum, an area of the brain largely affected in Huntington's patients. In the study, mice injected with this vector experienced significant protection from motor dysfunction when compared to mice treated with a control vector. dXIAP also appeared to prolong the life-span of the mice by 16%. Furthermore, no adverse effects due to dXIAP over-production were observed.

Making a long story shorter...

The absolutely horrendous 'Melbourne IT', an Australian company, shut down access to the domain name 'huntingtons.info'. When we contacted them they wanted 10 times the normal fee to reinstate the domain name. Left without options, we sent in the paperwork with the payment information.

Nothing happened. We sent it in again. And again. And Again. And Again. And Again. Four days after the last time they finally reinstated the domain. During this period I could not even get a reply to an email as to the status. I got one response when I submitted a 'ticket' via their website and they promptly answered THREE days later.

Melbourne IT may quite possibly be the worst company in it's industry.

So that's why we were shut down for three weeks.

This would be for their NeurophrophinCell treatment that looks promising in repairing/reversing damage in the brain caused by Huntington's Disease.

Here's the press release:

ASX Announcement – 20 October, 2005, Melbourne, Australia:
Living Cell Technologies Limited (ASX: LCT) today announced that it has filed a request for a Pre-IND Meeting with the FDA to seek guidance and feedback on the development program for its NeurotrophinCell product.

NeurotrophinCell (NtCell) is LCT’s injectable live cell product being developed for the treatment of patients with neurodegenerative diseases. NtCell is manufactured by LCT using natural porcine cells that are encased in a bio-polymer capsule developed from seaweed. The cells used are choroid plexus brain cells, which produce spinal cord fluid and a range of neurotrophins or growth factors, for the repair and function of the brain. The biocapsules act as an immune barrier, allowing for the cocktail of hormones to leave the capsule, but preventing the body’s immune system from rejecting the cells. No immunosuppression is required in the treatment.

LCT’s first targeted application of NtCell is Huntington’s disease.

Huntington’s disease is a devastating neurological disease that currently has no cure or treatment. It is an inherited disease that progresses rapidly with dementia and progressive movement difficulties. More than 1 in 100,000 people are affected by HD. Genetic screening can identify individuals that will ultimately suffer from HD.

The biocapsule cell treatment is administered intracranially through a catheter into the region of the brain predominantly affected by HD, known as the striatum.

“Our goal is to make sure that we have addressed all of the requirements outlined in the FDA’s Guideline on Xenotransplantation Products and other relevant guidance,” said Mr David Collinson, LCT’s Chief Executive Officer.

“The Pre-IND letter and associated information summary for NtCell represents a significant milestone for LCT. It indicates that LCT is on track with its goals and
milestones.”

Huntington’s disease currently has an annual cost to US healthcare at over US$2.5billion. NtCell has the potential to meet a $700m market opportunity.

Turmeric, the Asian spice that makes curry yellow, not to mention French's mustard and Hindu priests' robes, has yet another life: It's a promising potential weapon against several cancers, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis, psoriasis and other diseases....

At least a dozen clinical trials on humans are under way in the United States, Israel and England to test the safety and dosages of turmeric's main ingredient, curcumin...

The spice, which is a relative of ginger, comes from the stems of the root of a large-leafed plant widely grown in Asia, especially in the province of Maharashtra in southwest India. The stems are boiled, dried and crushed to a powder with a bitter woody taste that's widely used as a spice and in folk medicines to cure stomach ailments and skin lesions...

It's been demonstrated in animals to protect the liver, inhibit tumors, reduce inflammation and fight some infections. Curcumin has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to researchers, and may help lower cholesterol.

And the kicker...

A report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in December found that in mice injected with a chemical that mimics Alzheimer's, curcumin reduced by half the buildup of knots in the brain called amyloid plaques, which have been linked to Alzheimer's.

Some one is (though I'm not finding studies that have been published):

Yet in another separate study, Marie-Francoise Chesselet, chair of the department of neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine and Miriam Hickey, a postgraduate researcher, is studying the effects of curcumin on Huntington's Disease.

Huntington's Disease is characterized by an abnormal genetic mechanism which results in accumulation of the Huntington protein similar to the build-up of beta amyloids in Alzheimer's Disease.

"We found that if we give curcumin to mice they will have less aggregate in their brains, but we don't know yet if that will improve symptoms," Chesselet said.

Since curcumin acts as an antioxidant, it can be additionally beneficial to those with Huntington's Disease.

"It is also safe because people can ingest a lot of curcumin and it's not bad for them," Chesselet said.

"The advantage is that it can be given in the food without being injected," she added.