In a first, Huntington’s disease is slowed by an experimental treatment

A gene therapy, delivered to the brain, delayed symptom progression for at least three years

An MRI image of the brain of a person with Huntington's disease. The brain shows up in blue and orange and the outline of the skull and some other bones are visible.

This is a brain of a person with Huntington’s disease. The ventricles — open cavities for circulating cerebrospinal fluid — are in the center and far larger than normal, a sign of the degeneration of brain areas nearby.

Zephyr/Science Source

Even hearing the phrase “Huntington’s disease” will make a room suddenly somber.