Marta Figueiredo, PhD, science writer —

People with rare disorders have a worse healthcare experience than those affected by chronic diseases, according to the results of an international survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. Indeed, rare disease patients overall give their healthcare experience a medium-low rating, of 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 5,…

A single injection into the brain of an investigational gene therapy now in clinical trials partly prevented retinal degeneration and vision loss in a mouse model of CLN6 Batten disease, a study shows. These findings mark the first report of a brain-delivered gene therapy reaching both the brain and…

Adding cannabis oil to standard anti-seizure medications may be an effective way of managing treatment-resistant status epilepticus — life-threatening seizures that require urgent medical treatment — in people with CLN6 Batten disease, a case report suggests. This…

The first wave of COVID-19 in Europe severely disrupted access to care and raised stress and anxiety in people with rare diseases, negatively affecting their health and well-being, according to a survey conducted by Eurordis-Rare Diseases Europe. “People living with rare diseases in Europe have found themselves caught as collateral…

Vision degeneration in children with CLN2 disease, also known as late infantile Batten disease, occurs similarly in both eyes and seems to accelerate from ages 4 to 7, according to a recent study. This suggests that eye-targeted CLN2 therapies should be administered before, or as early as possible…

Anesthesia seems generally safe in children and adolescents with Batten disease, according to a study evaluating complications immediately before, during, and after procedures that require anesthesia. These complications, however, were associated with the number of anti-seizure medications taken by the patient, suggesting a more severe disease. The research also highlighted…

The CLN3 protein — the defective form of which underlies juvenile Batten disease — regulates several degradation and recycling processes within cells, mainly associated with a protein called Rab7A, a study found. The findings shed light on CNL3 functions and may help identify new therapeutic targets for…

Children with rapid and progressive vision loss — regardless of cognitive or behavioral problems — should be tested for CLN3 disease, the juvenile form of Batten disease, a study suggests. The researchers pointed out that blood film microscopy (where a blood drop is analyzed under microscope) is a fast, accessible,…

Sanger sequencing — a conventional genetic test useful to identify mutations in disease-associated genes — can effectively help to provide a definitive diagnosis of Batten disease, according to a Canadian study. The research also highlighted that the presence of cognitive decline, loss of previously acquired skills, progressive visual problems, and…

CLN7, the protein lacking in CLN7 Batten disease, is involved not only in the functioning of lysosomes (the cellular compartment responsible for breaking down waste) but also in the communication between nerve and muscle cells, according to a preclinical study. These findings open the possibility that proteins associated with other…