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A toddler is thriving after doctors in the U.S. and Canada used a novel technique to treat her before she was born for a rare geneticdisease that caused the deaths of two of her sisters.
That was the case when Thilini Gamage was to carry out one of the studies in her doctoral work with Professor Eirik Frengen at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo. They study gene variation and mutations that cause rare geneticdiseases. A mutation is a permanent change in the genetic material.
To protect this child from the same geneticdisease that killed two older siblings, treating her as soon as she was born might only work so well, the doctors knew. So they dialed back the therapeutic clock, delivering the medication to her as a fetus. Now 16 months old, Ayla appears totally healthy.
Vyjuvek is also the first drug approved to treat the disease and is Krystal’s first approved product. DEB is a genetic disorder characterized by very fragile skin that rips and blisters easily even from minor friction (like rubbing or scratching) or injury, resulting in open wounds that are prone to skin infections and fibrosis.
Thalassaemia is a severe geneticdisease that is characterised by significantly reduced production of functional beta-globin, a component of haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. Severely-affected patients need regular blood transfusions to maintain their haemoglobin levels.
Ella, 28, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis – a rare geneticdisease which causes a build-up of thick, sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive tract, and sinuses – at 18 months old. This sticky mucus gets trapped and breeds infections from bacteria I inhale,” says Ella, who adds she was “terrified” of doctors as a child.
Geneticist Dr Charles Steward has spent his career studying the human genome – but his work became much more personal when his children were diagnosed with severe neurological diseases. Charlie told pharmaphorum how his search for a genetic cause has led him to straddle the divide between scientist and patient advocate.
There has been speculation that muscle weakness and/or myocarditis may be a class risk for gene therapies that are delivered using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, and work is ongoing to see if the risk could be mitigated by identifying genetic risk factors or preventative treatments.
Geneticist Dr Charles Steward has spent his career studying the human genome – but his work became much more personal when his children were diagnosed with severe neurological diseases. Charlie told pharmaphorum how his search for a genetic cause has led him to straddle the divide between scientist and patient advocate.
Dravet syndrome is a severe and progressive genetic epilepsy characterized by frequent, prolonged and refractory seizures that usually begin within the first year of life. The disease is classified as a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy due to the developmental delays and cognitive impairment associated with the disease.
In the beginning, I always thought I wanted to be a doctor, but then I felt it was very depressing, particularly at that time and in that particular field. So, I [decided] to go into research rather than be a doctor and see patients [such as that] young, beautiful life that you could do nothing about it.”.
On Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) Awareness Day, which falls on November 1 every year, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals launched a new campaign called ‘We’ll Get There Soon’ to shed light on the rare disease. The initiative aims to raise awareness about the disease and the challenges faced by patients living with the rare genetic disorder.
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