Astrocytes identified as potential therapeutic target for the treatment of Huntington’s disease

Researchers from University of California Los Angeles (CA, USA) have identified that astrocytes affected by the huntingtin gene mutation are linked to the neuropsychiatric symptoms associated with Huntington’s disease. The results of the study, published in Science Translational Medicine, presents astrocytes as a potential therapeutic target for the neurological disorder.   This is the first study to identify how the huntingtin mutation affects astrocytes. While it is well known that the mutation leads to neuronal cell death, little is known about the impact of astrocyte activity in the progression of Huntington’s disease.  “It's likely that we will not understand brain diseases...