Methods for testing for and inhibiting the development of Huntington's disease

Abstract

This invention relates to Huntington's disease and more specifically to methods for testing and inhibiting the development of Huntington's disease.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for inhibiting the development of Huntington's disease in an individual who is at risk of developing the disease, comprising the steps of: 
 determining that the individual exhibits a trinucleotide repeat pattern, consisting of cytosine, adenine, and guanine, is of a sufficient number to indicate a risk for developing Huntington's disease;    establishing that a serum level of a preselected hormone in said individual is below normal;    administering one or more hormones, selected from a group consisting of estrogen, testosterone, their respective precursors, and esters of estrogen, testosterone, and their respective precursors, in amounts sufficient to inhibit development of the disease.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said individual exhibits an expanded trinucleotide repeat pattern greater than 38.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said individual exhibits an expanded trinucleotide repeat pattern equal to or greater than 43.  
     
     
         4 . The method  claim 1 , wherein said trinucleotide repeat pattern is equal to or greater than 63.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said individual exhibits a huntingtin polyglutamine protein comprising greater than 38 glutamines.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of predetermining the rate at which one or more of said hormones binds to a polyglutamine located at an end of said huntingtin polyglutamine protein to determine an optimum time to begin said administering step and said sufficient amount of said one or more hormones.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said predetermining step comprises the steps of, 
 obtaining one or more samples of a huntingtin polyglutamine protein with known numbers of glutamines;    mixing said sample with a labeled estradiol source and a buffering solution;    measuring the binding affinity of the labeled estradiol source to the huntingtin polyglutamine protein.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said affinity is measured with a gamma counter and is equal to or less than about 50,000 counts per minute.  
     
     
         9 . A method for determining the optimum time for administering a hormone treatment to inhibit the development of Huntington's disease in an individual who is at risk of developing the disease, comprising the steps of: 
 determining a plurality of binding affinities of estradiol to a huntingtin polyglutamine protein with known numbers of glutamines; and    measuring the serum level of hormone in said individual to determine if said serum level is below normal.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said affinity is equal to or less than about 50,000 per minute.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said affinity is equal to or less than about 40,000 counts per minute.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said mixing step further comprises mixing said labeled hormone source with a buffering solution.