On 23 March 1993, the discovery of the HTT gene responsible for Huntington’s disease (HD) was announced. This discovery was made by an international research team led by Dr. Nancy Wexler, in collaboration with many families affected by the disease from the Lake Maracaibo region in Venezuela. Despite living in poverty, these families provided samples for research in the hope of helping scientists discover the cause of the disease.

To commemorate this event, 23 March is observed as a day dedicated to the partnership between families, scientists, and healthcare professionals in the search for therapies for HD. IBCH PAS is part of this unique collaboration. For many years at our Institute, research on the pathogenesis and therapy of HD, as well as other diseases associated with CAG repeat expansion, has been conducted.

“H-Hands” (heart hands) is a symbol of our solidarity with families affected by this incurable disease.

Image source: https://tiny.pl/wcs79-jbt