Modifiers of Somatic Repeat Instability in Mouse Models of Friedreich Ataxia and the Fragile X-Related Disorders: Implications for the Mechanism of Somatic Expansion in Huntington's Disease

In this review the authors discuss mouse models of two non-CAG repeat expansion diseases, specifically the Fragile X-related disorders (FXDs) and Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). They compare and contrast these models with mouse and patient-derived cell models of various other repeat expansion disorders and the relevance of these findings for somatic expansion in Huntington’s disease (HD). The authors also describe additional genetic factors and pathways that modify somatic expansion in the FXD mouse model for which no comparable data yet exists in HD mice or humans. These additional factors expand the potential druggable space for diseases like HD where somatic expansion is a significant contributor to disease impact.

Read the Full article here