In Search of a Treatment for Huntington’s Disease
Level - UndergradHuntington's Disease (HD) is a degenerative brain disorder for which there is, at present, no effective treatment or cure. HD slowly diminishes the affected individual’s ability to walk, think, talk and reason. Eventually, the person with HD becomes totally dependent upon others for his or her care. Huntington’s Disease profoundly affects the lives of entire families: emotionally, socially and economically.
Your group has been hired by a venture capital (VC) firm for investment advice.. They are evaluating three companies that are each developing different treatment strategies for HD. One is developing a fetal tissue implant strategy, another a stem-cell implant strategy, and the third a gene therapy strategy. The VC firm has only enough capital to invest into one of these three companies. Your job is to advise this firm on which strategy has the greatest potential for success.
Your report (< 3 pages, excluding figures) is due by noon on Wednesday, December 5. It should be turned in electronically as an e-mail attachment sent to paul.benkeser@bme.gatech.edu. The report must include the following:
1. A recommendation for investing based upon a demonstrated understanding of the genetics of HD
2. The pros and cons of each treatment strategy
3. A detailed explanation of how the chosen strategy could fight this disease