The impact that genes may have on Huntington's disease have been illuminated by a new, novel study. The study identified specific small segments of RNA (called micro RNA or miRNA) encoded in DNA in the human genome that are highly expressed in Huntington's disease. Micro RNAs are important because they regulate the expression of genes. The researchers showed that these miRNAs are present in higher quantities in patients with HD and may act as a mitigating factor in the neurologic decline associated with the disease, making them a possible therapeutic target.