Clearance of mutant proteins as a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases.

Accumulation and aggregation of disease-causing proteins is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson, Alzheimer, and Huntington diseases. One of the main goals of research in neurodegenerative disorders has been to improve clearance of these accumulated proteins. Using the example of Huntington disease, I discuss strategies to selectively activate cellular degradation machinery to improve clearance of the mutant protein and to identify therapeutic targets for the treatment of Huntington disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.