The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)’s RareLaunch training program will host two days of free virtual workshops in December, with the aim of empowering leaders to start non-profit organizations and research programs to help people with rare diseases. “The RareLaunch program is central to NORD’s mission and history — community…
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As the Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT) prepares to launch a global database of caregiver-provided information called The Rett Syndrome Global Registry, it is seeking families to participate in a pilot program to test its objectives. The goal in launching the registry is threefold: first, to provide a…
A photo of a bespectacled young boy, his red baseball cap slightly askew as he enjoys time outside, will be featured on the front cover of an upcoming calendar in the “Same But Different” contest to raise awareness about rare disorders. “A Lovely Day Out in Kew Gardens,”…
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Antidepressant Mirtazapine Helps Preserve Motor Function in Rett Patients and Mice, Study Finds
Treatment with the antidepressant mirtazapine preserves motor and respiratory function, as well as social behavior, in women with Rett syndrome, a study shows. Improved motor function also was seen in a mouse model of the disorder. The study, “Protective role of mirtazapine in adult female…
A majority of rare disease patients using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic thought the experience positive, and many would like the option of continuing its use in future appointments, a series of surveys found. The surveys were conducted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and involved more than 800…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations to TSHA-102, a potential gene therapy for Rett syndrome. Taysha Gene Therapies, the treatment’s developer, plans to submit an investigational new drug application to the FDA in 2021 to…
Researchers have identified a new mutation in the KIF1A gene in a girl in Australia that is associated with Rett syndrome, ending her 15-year diagnostic journey. Two new other KIF1A mutations also were found in two patients showing a severe neurodevelopmental disorder with some Rett-like features. These mutations affected…
Same But Different, a nonprofit U.K. group that uses art for social change, is inviting people to choose their favorite photographs in a calendar contest to heighten awareness of rare diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The organization’s panel of judges has pared the number of contest submissions…
The National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), awarded nearly $500,000 for a study seeking biomarkers of Rett syndrome. The $498,572 grant was awarded to DiamiR to conduct a study called “Circulating Organ-enriched microRNAs as biomarkers of…
A number of events are in the works to mark Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, observed each October to heighten awareness about the rare neurodevelopmental disorder. Patients, caregivers, and advocates may, among other activities, share stories on social media, attend virtual events, hold Facebook fundraisers, and sport temporary tattoos —…
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