Author: Ignacio Munoz

The importance of biomarkers

As I have described before, the age of molecular therapies for the treatment of HD is around the corner. But a critical component of the drug development process is still lacking: the identification of Htt-dependent biomarkers. Why is this important? Imagine what will happen over the next 1-3 years. Several of the molecular therapeutics aimed […]

New center opens in Santiago!

Dear all- today marks a historic day in the solidarity with the patients and their families in Chile and in all of Latinamerica- the Chilean HD association together with its collaborators have inugurated a center for the care of people affected with HD. Claudia Perandones attended the opening ceremony in Santiago. Rodrigo Osorio, the president […]

Molecular therapies for HD – Ready, Set and GO!

Huntingtin targeting therapeutics are entering the clinical realm… after many years of work, 4 big players in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry are planning clinical trials in HD. Recently you might have heard about Roche, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, acquiring the rights to develop ISIS’s lead antisense molecule to lower HTT expression in clinical studies. This represented […]

Barranquitas, Maracaibo

Population: 6.264 in census – Regional Health System. 76  HD families identified, 13 families with more than 1 member affected (total current HD manifest individuals = 98). A full census is ongoing through local patient association (Avenhun Zulia). estimated prevalence for at-risk individuals is 1-5% of the total population. Needs: Housing Local hospice for general […]

Barrio San Luis, Maracaibo

Barrio San Luis is a neighborhood in Maracaibo, Zulia. Of approximately 3100 people living here, 700 are at risk (23%). The prevalence is estimated to be extremely high, perhaps reaching 10% of all people living in this small and confined area near the city of Maracaibo. During our February/March 2013 visit we met with local […]

Venezuela Areas

Venezuela remains the country with the highest density of HD in a single location, in and around lake Maracaibo, in the province of Zulia. Factor-H is committed to helping the Venezuelan HD affected communities. The main communities in Venezuela with active Factor-H efforts are in Caracas, and in the Zulia communities of Barrio San Luis […]

Colombia Areas

Affected communities • Magdalena (El Difícil y San Ángel) • Juan de Acosta • Antioquía • Chocó • Bogotá Participating physicians • Dra. Natalia Costa Baena • Dra. Sonia Moreno • Dr. Oscar Bernal • Dr. Guillermo A. Monsalve Duarte • Dr. Mike Espinoza Participating community advocates Asociación Colombianos por la Enfermedad de Huntington “acolpEH” […]

Evolution, Huntingtin and Cancer?

A recent manuscript by a Swedish group (Ji et al., The Lancet, 2012) has revealed that the incidence of cancers amongst individuals bearing mutant expanded polyglutamine genes (and particularly Huntingtin expansions) is significantly lower than in the general population, even after adjusting for age. This study is a continuation of previous work done by this […]

Visit to Colombian Communities by Factor-H (February 2013)

Recently Claudia Perandones and I took our first trip to visit some the affected communities in Colombia. A map of our trip is included here. This was a very important trip for us and for all affected by HD. We met with health officials, township mayors, local patient representatives (Janeth Mosquera and Mariela Campo), and many […]

Factor-H visit to Familia Oviedo Oviedo in the news

Recently Factor-H visited Colombia (February 2013). During this visit, we went to meet the Family Oviedo Oviedo from the town of El Dificil, Magadalena. The local TV news station, El Caracol, filmed a documentary on the family and our humanitarian projects. We were accompanied by the local patient association representative, Mariela Campo, and Janeth Mosquera […]