we speak a lot at the moment? - Domonique (60) Dear Dominque, At present there are no proven effective treatments that could provide a cure or even slow HD down. Gene therapy & gene silencing are possible and hopeful future treatments, but a lot more scientific research will be needed before we know if they are safe and effective. They are unlikely to be available to patients for quite few years. There are a number of very hopeful medications that are likely to be tested in drug trials over the next few years. Infact, one is about to be tested in a trial in the USA and Australia. These medications are not yet proven to work in humans with HD. The first stage will be to do drug trials in people with HD to see if they work. I expect that many of these trials will be conducted in Australia. If some or all these drugs are helpful then the next stage will be to persuade governments to licence them for use. This is a long, slow & complex process that can take a few years. The delays are very frustrating to people living with HD who of course cannot afford to wait. However, there is now great reason to be hopeful for the future. It's good to keep up to date about the latest research work and also talk to your specialist about being available to go in drug trials when they occur in the future Andrew "Can I