Milestones in Huntington's Disease Research
1872
In a case study of Long Island families with a movement disorder, George Huntington described the clinical features of the disease that now bears his name and identified it as a genetic disorder.
1911
Alois Alzheimer described the pathological changes that occur in the striatum and cortex of Huntington's patients.
1983
Marcy MacDonald, James Gusella, and colleagues map the HD gene to chromosome 4.
1986
Joseph Martin, Susan Folstein, and Jason Brandt develop a linkage test for HD gene carriers (the old 'marker' test).
1993
The Huntington's Disease gene was discovered by the HD Collaborative research group. Individuals at risk for the disease could now seek predictive testing and clinical diagnoses could be confirmed. The isolation of the gene prompts a dramatic increase in HD research.
1993
The Huntington Study Group is founded.
1996
Gillian Bates develops the first transgenic Huntington's Disease mouse model of the disease. This lead to insights into the disease that were confirmed in HD patients and allowed preclinical testing of potential treatments.
1997
The HDSA inaugurates its Coalition for the Cure [link]
1999
The first therapeutic intervention in a transgenic HD mouse, minocycline, slows progression and prolongs life.
2001
The results of the first Phase III clinical trial, CARE-HD, are announced. Although the trial did not result in the approval of a treatment, there was a trend towards a slowing of progression in the patient group that received CoQ10. A new Phase III trial of higher dose CoQ10 is now recruiting.
2005
Robert Ferrante and colleagues show the value of the HD cocktail approach by achieving additive therapeutic effects for minocycline and CoQ10 in a transgenic mouse.
2005
CHDI is founded as a virtual translational research organization. Dr. Robert Pacifici is hired as its Chief Scientific Officer; he presents a strategic plan for the development of treatments to the HD community at the HDSA convention.