Scientists of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Gdańsk worked out of the invention “2 – isothiocyanatoethylbenzene for use in the treatment of Huntington’s disease”. In the future, it will enable to develop the first drug that will minimize the cause of the disease, and not only alleviate its symptoms.
The invention has been already patented. It is using a compound naturally occurring in cruciferous plants for the production of a drug that actively inhibits the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits – the cause of Huntington’s disease. Its deposits disrupt the proper functioning of nerve cells and lead to their death, and 2-isothiocyanatoethylbenzene prevents their accumulation and accelerates their removal.
Nerve cells death is the leading cause of neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease. The developed compound would prevent or slow down the development of the disease. 2-isothiocyanatoethylbenzene is relatively safe for the other, normal cells.
