Finding a Cure for Fragile X
From a few Zoom Virtual Gatherings an idea was born to do something really special during July to commemorate Fragile X Awareness Day. We would harness the power of the internet to raise awareness with three unique events – the #TealTakeover.
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This is the first in a series of webinars focused on current topics in Fragile X research. In this webinar we hear from Alysson R. Muotri, PhD, Professor at University of California San Diego Stem Cell Programand Fabio C. Tucci, PhD, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder at Epigen Biosciences, Inc.
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The NIH-sponsored Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) has created this survey for people living with a rare disease in the US. The goal is to better understand the unique impacts of COVID-19 on the rare disease community.
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This year, on Fragile X Awareness Day, a growing number of buildings, bridges, and monuments — including Niagara Falls — will be illuminated in teal to spread the word about Fragile X and celebrate our community. Although we may not be able to gather in groups this year, we still encourage you to briefly visit or drive by lighting displays and share your experience with us.
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FRAXA Biotech Games™, a gathering of Boston area biotech companies to network in a friendly setting, and form new relationships and potential collaborations while raising money for Fragile X research, is adapting its 2020 event to maintain its commitment to Fragile X and autism research while prioritizing the health and safety of its contestants and volunteers. The organization’s traditional annual event will be transformed into an online interactive experience September 9-11, 2020.
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Thank you Talk Fragile X for hosting FRAXA Research Foundation’s very own Dave Bjork as a special guest on your podcast! We greatly appreciate the opportunity to share who we are and what we are doing to advance Fragile X research.
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New Zealand-Based Biotech Neuren Pharmaceuticals Has Published Successful Phase 2 Fragile X Clinical Trial. Trofinetide, given to adolescent and adult males with Fragile X syndrome, was shown to be generally safe and was well-tolerated. It also showed preliminary evidence of efficacy. This trial validated a new design which can be used in future trials.
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FRAXA Investigator and MIT Professor Mark Bear and his colleagues have identified a valuable new target for Fragile X therapeutics: GSK3 alpha. Several FRAXA research teams previously identified GSK3 beta as a treatment target for Fragile X. The catch is that, so far, GSK3 beta inhibitors have proven too toxic for regular use. Dr. Bear’s new discovery opens up the possibility of developing more selective compounds with less toxicity and fewer side effects. Interestingly, lithium inhibits both GSK3 versions – alpha and beta.
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Meet #FriendofFRAXA Anthony! If you would like to nominate someone as a #FriendofFRAXA, we welcome all who have been touched by Fragile X, including friends, grandparents, siblings, professionals and companions alike to become a #FriendofFRAXA with the goal of putting a face to Fragile X for those who may not know someone directly.
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FRAXA Research Foundation has awarded $45,000 to Dr. Maija Castrén, of the University of Helsinki, Finland. Dr. Castren is working with Dr. Iryna Ethell, at the University of California at Riverside, to uncover mechanisms behind beneficial effects of lovastatin and cholesterol-dependent changes seen in the Fragile X brain.
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As many of you know, FRAXA’s mission is to find effective treatment options and ultimately a cure for Fragile X. Right now though, we know that we have to pivot. The Fragile X community has always been the center of our mission and today, there are other ways we can be helpful. We would like to host virtual gatherings that will benefit the Fragile X community and help us all feel connected.
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We recognize that with the constantly changing COVID-19 situation around the world, this is an unprecedented time for everyone — a time that, for many, is filled with uncertainty. Like many of you, we have children or adults at home with Fragile X syndrome. We truly understand what a great challenge this can be and are here to lend a hand.
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The Westmark laboratory continues to study sleep and rest-activity cycles in Fragile X mice as a potential outcome measure that correlates between preclinical and clinical research. The analysis of sleep EEG in the mice has proven more labor intensive than they anticipated, but the team is collaborating with Dr. Rama Maganti’s laboratory at UW-Madison on the development of computer scrips to speed up the analysis.
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Meet #FriendofFRAXA Jackson! If you would like to nominate someone as a #FriendofFRAXA, we welcome all who have been touched by Fragile X, including friends, grandparents, siblings, professionals and companions alike to become a #FriendofFRAXA with the goal of putting a face to Fragile X for those who may not know someone directly.
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In this double-bill episode of The Genetics Podcast, Dr. Patrick Short talks to two key rare disease researchers in the field: Dr. Bruce Bloom, CCO of Healx, and Dr. Mike Tranfaglia, CSO of FRAXA. Both draw on their wide-ranging personal and professional experiences to discuss the successes and opportunities of drug repurposing, the power of using machine learning, and the work they’ve been doing to aid in finding effective treatments for Fragile X.
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FRAXA Research Foundation has awarded a $90,000 research grant to Dr. Craig Erickson and Dr. Elizabeth Smith at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to test functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), in children who have Fragile X syndrome. fNIRS is safe, non-invasive, and easily-tolerated. It uses light sources and sensors on the scalp to build a heat map of the brain in action.
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Jonathan Lovelace, a FRAXA funded Postdoc at UC Riverside, has made some exciting EEG findings over the past few years studying auditory hypersensitivity in mice and therapeutic drug treatments. A big obstacle in FXS research has been establishing reliable, unbiased, and translation relevant biomarkers that can be used to determine the effectiveness of therapies. One of the most important discoveries they have made is the striking similarity in EEG biomarkers between mice and humans.
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A Fragile X clinical trial of a new PDE4D allosteric inhibitor from Tetra Therapeutics is nearly complete. Right now there are 3 remaining spots open to males 18-45 years of age with Fragile X syndrome. Dr. Elizabeth Berry-Kravis at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is leading this trial. The drug being studied has a unique mechanism of action that might improve cognitive and memory function.
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The Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (K-CART) and Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas currently are seeking one postdoctoral fellow interested in advancing their research skills and progressing towards a career as an independent, externally funded investigator studying autism spectrum (ASD) or related neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Fragile X syndrome).
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With a $90,000 grant from FRAXA, Dr. McCullagh and Dr. Achem Klug at the University of Colorado investigated whether auditory neural circuits are altered in Fragile X mice. They saw minor differences in these mice compared to B6 (control) mice in several measures of auditory acuity. Fmr1 mice had increased latency to the startle response for almost all conditions compared to B6 mice, suggesting altered timing to acoustic cues. These experiments show that, consistent with patient reports and anatomical/physiological data, the auditory system is altered in a mouse model of FXS, though with some potential compensation leading to a subtle behavioral impact.
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We are pleased to report that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published a Funding Opportunity, inviting applications for Centers for Collaborative Research in Fragile X and FMR1-Associated Conditions.
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Meet #FriendofFRAXA Will! If you would like to nominate someone as a #FriendofFRAXA, we welcome all who have been touched by Fragile X, including friends, grandparents, siblings, professionals and companions alike to become a #FriendofFRAXA with the goal of putting a face to Fragile X for those who may not know someone directly.
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To say we are thankful would be an understatement. Before 2019 came to a close, FRAXA Research Foundation set an ambitious goal of $750,000 to raise by the start of the New Year. We knew that it would require all hands on deck, and we knew that those of you who believe in our mission would rise to the occasion. The turnout we received was beyond what we could have hoped for.
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For the 5th year in row, the Bruins Foundation chose FRAXA as a beneficiary of their 50/50 raffle to benefit a lucky charity. This year’s game was held on November 23, 2019 against the Minnesota Wild. Not only were the Bruins able to take home a win, but FRAXA received half of a whopping $37,000 raised that night!
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Meet #FriendofFRAXA Caleb! If you would like to nominate someone as a #FriendofFRAXA, we welcome all who have been touched by Fragile X, including friends, grandparents, siblings, professionals and companions alike to become a #FriendofFRAXA with the goal of putting a face to Fragile X for those who may not know someone directly.
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