THE X. WILLIAM YANG RESEARCH GROUP @ UCLA

To study how full length mutant huntingtin initiate HD patogenesis in vivo and to facilitate testing of HD therapeutics, we have developed novel Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)-transgenic mouse models expressing full-length mutant human huntingtin in mice (BACHD mice). We are in the process of characterizing the phenotypes of these mice. These novel HD models will be used to study:

• Early pathogenic mechanisms elicited by the full length mutant huntingtin.

• Pathological cell-cell interactions elicited by full length mutant huntingtin.

• Test candidate therapeutics for HD.