Lay summary
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that causes movement, thinking and psychiatric problems (1-3). There is no cure and current treatments can only manage symptoms (4, 5). ‘Regenerative’ medicine strategies such as stem cell transplantation and gene editing offer some hope to replace lost brain cells and restore function in affected individuals (6, 7). Despite the potential, the application of regenerative therapies raises ethical, legal, and social controversy due to the gaps in knowledge and uncertainties associated with these novel strategies(8).
This project aligns with two themes stipulated in the studentship guidelines; common factors in participant complaints about research and challenge of ensuring equity in health and research. It also contributes to genetic research and ethics issues arising from health research strategy themes.