News

As Congress begins debate this week to overhaul the U.S. tax code, lawmakers should leave the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) — and the tax incentives it offers pharmaceutical companies to develop therapies for rare diseases — off the table. That’s the message being pushed by the National Organization for…

Gene therapy is able to reduce toxic protein aggregates in a zebrafish model of one form of adult-onset Batten disease, a new study from China shows. The study, “Gene Therapy of Adult Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses with CRISPR/Cas9 in Zebrafish,” appeared in the journal Human Gene Therapy. The study’s…

A comprehensive and unique collection of juvenile Batten disease induced pluripotent stem cells has become available. Juvenile Batten disease, also known as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, is the result of a mutation in the CLN3 gene. The stem cell announcement was made by the Beyond Batten Disease Foundation (BBDF) and…

Two parents in Springville, Utah, lost three children in three consecutive days this summer to Batten disease, also known as neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses. According to The Washington Post, Christopher Chappell, 20, Elizabeth, 19, and James, 15, passed away on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. Their joint obituary…

Yeast models of Batten disease and other lysosomal storage disorders could speed up the discovery of treatments by overcoming the restraints of animal models of the disease, a group of researchers argues in the journal Microbial Cell. Their article describes how a research approach that starts in yeast and ends…

The BATCure family survey is now live. The project aims to help develop new therapies for Batten disease by identifying target genes and small-molecule treatments for three types of Batten: juvenile CLN3 (the most common), CLN6 and CLN7. It will also study if existing drugs can be repurposed for Batten.

Early photosensitivity may be a hallmark of ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease, according to the results of a small study. The study “Photosensitivity is an early marker of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 disease” was published in the journal Epilepsia. The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs), or Batten disease, are a heterogeneous group of lysosomal storage disorders that…

Two 5-year-olds participating in a trial evaluating the first treatment for Batten disease were reunited at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis after Hurricane Harvey almost suspended the treatment for one of them. Elle Gieselmann and Micah McCorkle are among the few Americans receiving the enzyme replacement therapy. The…

An analysis of the protein profile of the three major forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) has revealed potential biomarkers for the measurement of short-term response to treatment. The study, “Proteomic analysis of brain and cerebrospinal fluid from the three major forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis reveals potential biomarkers,”…

Abeona Therapeutics will host an inaugural Research and Development (R&D) Day in New York City in October, briefing investors on its progress in developing gene therapies for rare diseases, including two for Batten disease. The R&D Day program and video webcast, set for on Wednesday, Oct. 11, will begin…