Acupuncture Therapy for Huntington's Disease: An Evidence Review and Mechanistic Insights

Abstract

Objective

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) repeats in the huntingtin protein (HTT) gene. Currently, there are no effective therapies targeting its core pathology. This review evaluates acupuncture as a complementary therapy for HD, exploring its clinical evidence and mechanisms.

Methods

Database searches (PubMed, Embase, CNKI, etc.) were conducted until June 2025 to identify clinical and animal studies. Two independent reviewers analyzed the data. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD420251066624) on June 3, 2025.

Results

Acupuncture significantly improved motor symptoms and neurological function in HD patients, with a response rate of 92.19%. High-frequency acupoint combinations [Baihui (GV20), Hegu (LI4), Taichong (LR3)] are aligned with traditional Chinese medicine theory. Acupuncture provides neuroprotection through the inhibition of apoptosis, enhancement of autophagy, and suppression of neuroinflammation via the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. However, evidence is limited to case reports, with only one descriptive study providing Level II evidence.

Conclusions

Acupuncture shows promise in treating HD but requires well-designed randomized controlled trials to validate its efficacy and elucidate mechanisms.

Keywords

Huntington's disease acupuncture neurodegenerative diseases complementary medicine alternative medicine review

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bailus

B. J.

Scheeler

S. M.

Simons

Sanchez

M. A.

Tshilenge

K.-T.

Creus-Muncunill

Naphade

Lopez-Ramirez

Zhang

Lakshika Madushani

Moroz

Loureiro

Schreiber

K. H.

Hausch

Kennedy

B. K.

Ehrlich

M. E.

Ellerby

L. M.

(2021). Modulating FKBP5/FKBP51 and autophagy lowers HTT (huntingtin) levels. Autophagy, 17(12), 4119–4140. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2021.1904489

Bean

Bayrak-Toydemir

(2021). American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics standards and guidelines for clinical genetics laboratories, 2014 edition: Technical standards and guidelines for Huntington disease (vol 16, e2, 2014). Genetics in Medicine, 23(12), 2461–2461. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41436-020-0893-3

Cha

Heo

Yoo

Kim

Seol

(2016). A case of combined Korean-Western medicine treatment on chorea hyperglycemia basal ganglia syndrome induced by nonketotic diabetes mellitus. Journal of Korean Medicine, 37(3), 131–138. https://doi.org/10.13048/jkm.16041

Chen

Hao

Chen

Cheng

Shen

Tong

Yan

Huang

Meng

(2022). Anti-depressant effects of acupuncture: The insights from NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis and inflammation. Neuroscience Letters, 785, 136787–136787. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136787

Chinese Society of Neurology, Neurogenetics Group. (2023). Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Huntington’s disease (2023). Chinese Journal of Neurology, 56(8), 848–855. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.cn113694-20221226-0096

Frank

Testa

C. M.

Stamler

Kayson

Davis

Edmondson

M. C.

Kinel

Leavitt

Oakes

O’Neill

Vaughan

Goldstein

Herzog

Snively

Whaley

Wong

Suter

Jankovic

Jimenez-Shahed

, …, Christopher

(2016). Effect of deutetrabenazine on chorea among patients with huntington disease: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 316(1), 40–50. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.8655

Guo

X. C.

Yang

D. H.

Fang

Y. G.

(2017). A case of Huntington’s disease treated by professor Yang Dianhui with acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine. Sichuan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 35(6), 152–153.

Han, D., Liu, H. R., Wu, H. G., Yan, C. N., Chai, J., Yang, Z. H., Zhang, F., Zhang, L. S., & Li, Q. (2023). Advances and perspectives in the mechanisms of acupuncture for Crohn’s disease. Acupuncture Research, 48(2), 139–146. https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20221037

Handsaker

R. E.

Kashin

Reed

N. M.

Tan

Lee

W.-S.

McDonald

T. M.

Morris

Kamitaki

Mullally

C. D.

Morakabati

N. R.

Goldman

Lind

Kohli

Lawton

Hogan

Ichihara

Berretta

McCarroll

S. A.

(2025). Long somatic DNA-repeat expansion drives neurodegeneration in Huntington’s disease. Cell, 188(3), 623–639.e19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.11.038

10.

He, C., Huang, C. S., Chen, H. R., Yu, C. C., Zheng, Q., Wang, Y. S., Chen, Y. Y., & Kong, L. H. (2020). Effects of preconditioning acupuncture on learning-memory abilities and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in AD-like rats. Journal of Practical Medicine, 36(18), 2510–2514.

11.

Jin

Y. A.

(2019). Preliminary exploration of abdominal acupuncture combined with separated aconite moxibustion for the treatment of Huntington’s disease. New Era, New Thinking, New Leap, New Development—Proceedings of the 2019 Annual Meeting and 40th Anniversary of the Chinese Acupuncture Association (pp. 1456–1459). Dalian Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

12.

G. Q.

H. Z.

Yuan

R. R.

X. W.

Yang

D. H.

(2017). A case report of Huntington’s chorea. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 37(9), 984. https://doi.org/10.13703/j.0255-2930.2017.09.019

13.

J. Y.

Shen

P. F.

(2019). A case report of acupuncture treatment for Huntington's chorea. Shanxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 35(4), 44–45.

14.

Y. P.

Shi

M. J.

Zang

Y. H.

(2022a). Treatment of Parkinson's disease and hemichorea with floating acupuncture combined with Zhengan Xifeng decoction: A case report. Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine, 38(2), 315–317.

15.

Li, Y., Xu, Y., Chen, B., Xu, Z. F., Wang, S. J., Fang, Y. X., Liu, Y. Y., Chen, Z. L., Guo, Y. M., & Guo, Y. (2022b). Progress of researches on acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of cartilage damage of osteoarthritis. Acupuncture Research, 47(9), 837–842. https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20210750

16.

Liao

D.-M.

Pang

Zhou

Yang

Y.-H.

Guo

Tang

C.-L.

(2022). Effect of electroacupuncture on cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice based on TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway. Acupuncture Research, 47(7), 565–572. https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20210604

17.

Ling

Zhang

Dai

Jiang

Zhou

Qian

Liu

Selfjord

Satir

T. M.

Lundin

Touza

J. L.

Firth

Van Zuydam

Bilican

Akcakaya

Hong

Cai

(2025). Customizable virus-like particles deliver CRISPR–Cas9 ribonucleoprotein for effective ocular neovascular and Huntington’s disease gene therapy. Nature Nanotechnology, 20(4), 543–553. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01851-7

18.

Shang

X. M.

H. D.

Sun

M. L.

(2016). Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of Huntington’s chorea: A case report. Yunnan Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia Medica, 37(8), 103–104. https://doi.org/10.16254/j.cnki.53-1120/r.2016.08.050

19.

Soltani Khaboushan

Moeinafshar

Ersi

M. H.

Teixeira

A. L.

Majidi Zolbin

Kajbafzadeh

A. M.

(2023). Circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers in Huntington's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 385, 578243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2023.578243

20.

Wang

Chen

Zhang

Sun

(2019). Electroacupuncture ameliorates neuronal injury by Pink1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy clearance in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Nitric Oxide, 91, 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2019.07.004

21.

Wang

X. X.

(2015). A case report of Huntington’s disease. Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 35(7), 718. https://doi.org/10.13703/j.0255-2930.2015.07.024

22.

Xie

H. Y.

Gao

Yang

Yuan

A. H.

(2018). Professor Yang Jun’s experience in treating Huntington’s chorea with the method of nourishing the kidney and benefiting the marrow. Journal of Shanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 19(5), 58–60.

23.

Yang

B. Y.

(2005). Clinical observation of acupuncture treatment in 64 cases of chorea. Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, (1), 17–18.

24.

Yang

J.-Y.

Jiang

Tian

H.-L.

Wang

Z.-D.

Ren

J.-Y.

Liu

Z.-G.

(2021). Effect of electroacupuncture on learning-memory ability and expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in hippocampus and spleen in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. Zhēncì Yánjiū, 46(5), 353–361. https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.200980

25.

Zeise-Suess

(2018). Acupuncture in chorea Huntington. Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies, 11(4), 262–263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jams.2018.08.199

26.

Zhang

Z. F.

Q. X.

Huang

Dou

R. H.

(2016). Integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of a case of Huntington’s disease. Journal of Chengde Medical University, 33(4), 346–347. https://doi.org/10.15921/j.cnki.cyxb.2016.04.038

27.

Zhou

Wang

Qiu

Zhang

Gong

Wang

(2020). DHZCP Modulates microglial M1/M2 polarization via the p38 and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated microglial cells. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11, 1126–1126. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.01126