May is Huntington's Disease Awareness Month

The Month of May is recognized as Huntington's Disease (HD) Awareness Month. During this time, the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) makes a specific effort to raise awareness about this devastating disease.

Contact: Allison B. Younger
212-242-1968, ext. 18
ayounger@hdsa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May is Huntingtons Disease Awareness Month

New York, NY, May 1, 2001 -- The month of May is recognized as Huntingtons Disease (HD) Awareness Month. During this time, the Huntingtons Disease Society of America (HDSA) makes a specific effort to increase awareness of this devastating disease and what is being done in order to find a cure.

In recent months, several investigators from HDSAs Coalition for the Cure, an elite group of HDSA-funded scientists, have made significant advancements in HD research. Dr. Robert Friedlanders work on caspases and Minocycline were published in the journals, Nature and Nature Medicine. More recently, Dr. Christopher Ross research on reversing cell death was published in the journal, Science.

Since 1996, HDSAs commitment to research funding has grown from $183,000 to $4 million in 2001, with a goal to raise $25 million for new research initiatives in the next five years. It is due to the continued advancements in research funded by HDSA that people affected by HD have every hope that effective therapeutics and, ultimately, a cure is on the horizon.

Huntingtons Disease is an inherited, degenerative brain disorder that results in the progressive loss of control of both the mind and the body. Each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease. Presently, there is no effective treatment or cure for this deadly illness that affects 30,000 Americans and places another 200,000 at-risk.

The Huntingtons Disease Society of America is a national non-profit voluntary health agency
that is dedicated to finding a cure for HD, by funding both basic and clinical research, while providing vital services to those affected by this life-altering disease. HDSA Centers of Excellence for Family Services provide state of the art medical facilities to our HD families across the country. With its 31 chapters and 3 affiliates, HDSA provides regional referrals and serves as a critical link to our HD families in the field.

Please join HDSA in celebrating HD Awareness Month. Each year, HDSAs chapters and affiliates host a variety of fundraising events in their local areas. Events taking place during HD Awareness Month include the Shoot for a Cure Hoop-a-thon and the Cure HD BMW Sweepstakes. All proceeds from these events directly support HDSA in our efforts to find a cure for Huntingtons Disease.

During the month of May, and throughout the year, we urge you to support HDSA in our efforts to find a cure for this deadly disease. For more information about Huntingtons Disease or HDSA, please contact the Huntingtons Disease Society of America at 800-345-HDSA, hdsainfo@hdsa.org, or on the Internet at www.hdsa.org. HDSA is committed to making this the last generation with HD.

# # #