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The Happy Pod: Hope for people with Huntington's disease

The first ever treatment for Huntington's disease delights patients and scientists. The gene therapy delays its progress dramatically.

For the first time ever, a successful treatment has been found for the devastating brain disease, Huntington's. The inherited condition, which resembles a combination of dementia, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease, affects hundreds of thousands of people in the US and Europe. The scientists who developed the new gene therapy, and people who have the disease, say its a huge breakthrough that could give people a better quality of life for decades.

Also, we meet the teacher who has launched a Happiness Project to help her pupils learn about what really matters, and is encouraging others to do the same. We find out about the small actions that have transformed how people feel about a living in a huge public housing complex in Mumbai, bringing a true sense of community.

It is Fat Bear Week in Alaska - a time to celebrate weight gain as the beautiful inhabitants of Katmai National Park prepare to hibernate.

Plus, a new way to bring more poetry into your life, the dogs getting to swim in German public pools, and the man cycling hundreds of miles dressed as a paramedic gorilla.

Presenter: Oliver Conway
Music: Iona Hampson

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Thu 2 Oct 2025 09:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 27 Sep 2025 18:32GMT
  • Sun 28 Sep 2025 03:32GMT
  • Sun 28 Sep 2025 13:32GMT
  • Thu 2 Oct 2025 09:32GMT