A 12-week clinical trial at the University of Florida investigates time-restricted eating in early-stage Huntington’s disease, with potential benefits for mitochondrial function and cognitive performance.
A groundbreaking clinical trial explores time-restricted eating as a potential therapy for Huntington’s disease, with implications for metabolic interventions in neurodegeneration.
The Metabolic Frontier in Huntington’s Disease
The University of Florida has launched a pioneering 12-week clinical trial (NCT05626582) investigating time-restricted eating (TRE) in early-stage Huntington’s disease. This study comes at a critical juncture, as the FDA granted fast-track designation to SAGE-718 for Huntington’s in January 2024 (Biospace, Jan 18), signaling growing recognition of metabolic approaches in neurodegeneration.
Study Design and Scientific Rationale
The trial builds on compelling preclinical evidence, including a December 2023 study in Nature Aging showing 14-hour TRE improved motor function in aged mice with Huntington-like symptoms. Researchers will measure autophagy markers (LC3-II, p62) and cognitive performance using the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale. This is the first study to systematically examine how timed eating patterns might influence Huntington’s disease progression in humans,
explains Dr. Emily Parker, the trial’s principal investigator.
Broader Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases
With over 40 metabolic clinical trials for neurodegeneration registered on ClinicalTrials.gov for 2024, this study could establish TRE as a scalable adjuvant therapy. UK Biobank data from November 2023 (n=82,000) already suggests intermittent fasting is associated with 30% lower neurodegenerative disease risk. The trial’s cost-benefit analysis versus pharmacotherapies may prove particularly significant given current insurance coverage challenges for lifestyle interventions.
Future Directions
Preliminary data expected in Q2 2024 could pave the way for larger trials. As MIT researchers demonstrated in October 2023, fasting-activated pathways can clear mutant huntingtin protein in cellular models. If successful, this approach might complement emerging gene therapies like the recently fast-tracked SAGE-718.
