New compound might help fight Huntington's
OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists have identified a compound that might help in treating Huntington's disease.
Scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation led by Kenneth Hensley are performing preclinical tests to assess whether the chemical -- lanthionine ketimine -- slows the progress of the nervous system disease.
Lanthionine ketimine, a chemical product derived from metabolic processes, might help stop damage to nerve cells and reduce inflammation, thus delaying the motor function deterioration caused by Huntington's disease.
"This is very early in the process," Hensley said. "But this will give us a foundation of data to build on and create a second generation of compounds."
A neurological disorder with no known cure, Huntington's disease typically manifests itself by mood swings and depression, followed by a lack of coordination, involuntary body movements, paralysis and death.
"If we could just slow the rate of progression of Huntington's, we could turn a 10- or 20-year illness into a 50-year illness," said Hensley. "People could have decades of productive life. They could watch their children grow up."
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