Axon guidance and wiring in Huntington Disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is traditionally considered an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder, but its origins may begin much earlier during development. Beyond the well-known symptoms that appear later in life, HD may already affect neurodevelopmental processes in fetal stages, when neural circuits are formed.

Our work focuses on a less explored aspect of HD: its impact on cytoskeletal dynamics and axonal guidance, processes essential for proper neuronal connectivity. We show that HD alters these mechanisms and the expression of guidance molecules early in development, potentially reshaping brain connectivity long before clinical onset.

By studying these early molecular events, we aim to identify targets for interventions that could preserve healthy neural wiring and help prevent or delay disease onset.