The Sanford Burnham Prebys Rare Disease Day Symposium brought patients, families, physicians, scientists, industry experts and advocates together with a focus on congenital disorders of glycosylation.

Sanford Burnham Prebys, in partnership with CDG CARE and the Sanford Children’s Health Research Center, hosted a Rare Disease Day Symposium in San Diego from March 1-3, 2024. The goal of the event was to share the latest scientific developments from researchers studying congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), and to foster new perspectives, ideas and collaborations to accelerate the creation and implementation of better therapies and treatment plans for those living with CDG.

CDG is an umbrella term for more than 190 disorders caused by mutations that impair glycosylation; the complex process by which cells build long sugar chains that attach to proteins called glycoproteins. CDG affects fewer than 2,000 children worldwide. When glycosylation is impaired, the sugar molecules on many of the body’s proteins are absent or incomplete, leading to serious, often fatal, malfunctions in various organ systems throughout the body.

Since 2010, Hudson Freeze, PhD, the William W. Ruch Distinguished Endowed Chair, professor and director of the Human Genetics Program, and director of the Sanford Children’s Health Research Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys, has organized an annual Rare Disease Symposium, where scientists, doctors and families gather from around the world to discuss the latest research and meet other families coping with rare diseases.

“At Sanford Burnham Prebys, we’re committed to rare disease research,” says David Brenner, MD, president, CEO and Donald Bren Chief Executive Chair at Sanford Burnham Prebys, during his welcoming remarks. “We believe we can make a unique contribution to society with this work, and in so doing make the world a better place.”

Brenner noted that Rare Research Day marked a time for academic medical centers across the US to celebrate the synergy between patients, families, physicians and scientists that is needed to advance research on all rare diseases, including CDG.

This was reflected throughout the symposium’s schedule and in the tenor of individual presentations. Patients and families were invited to give talks throughout the weekend to discuss the perspective of living with CDG or caring for a family member with CDG. The physicians and scientists who spoke consistently credited the patients and families for all they do to help raise funds and participate in research, including clinical trials that can add more appointments to already challenging calendars and routines.

The family reception on Friday, March 1, concluded the first day of the symposium with a more informal opportunity for patients, families, doctors and researchers to connect and socialize.

“This is the largest meeting we’ve ever had,” notes Freeze. “This gathering is an important part of nurturing the CDG research ecosystem by bringing experts together while also knitting us closer together with the people who really matter – the families.”

The symposium’s many sessions over three days included:

• Friday, March 1
  • Scientific meeting
    • Introduction and welcome from Sanford Burnham Prebys president and CEO, David Brenner; Malin Burnham and Debra Turner, philanthropists and honorary trustees; and Congressional Representative Scott Peters from California’s 52nd Congressional District
    • Discussion of perspectives, challenges and triumphs led by parents, patients and advocates
    • Sessions on new therapies in development, the potential use of biotin as a treatment for many CDG patients, neurological disease, and gene therapy approaches, among others 
  • Poster session
  • Family reception
• Saturday, March 2
  • Scientific meeting
    • Keynote address on “Accelerating Treatment and Cures for Rare Diseases” from Joni Rutter, PhD, director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences in the National Institutes of Health
    • Additional conversation about the experiences of parents and advocates
    • Sessions on clinical trial updates; especially strong were drug repurposing efforts leading to new and unexpected potential treatments
  • Doctor-is-in-session
    • Brought together medical researchers, clinicians, advocates, patients and their families for an afternoon of hands-on collaboration in small groups
    • Prior “Doctor-is-in-session” events have led to profound experiences and unlikely partnerships
  • Evening reception
• Sunday, March 3
  • CDG CARE Scientific and Family Conference
    • CDG clinical care and management sessions included neurophysiology and epilepsy, growth charts and hormonal abnormalities, puberty and bone health
    • CDG research sessions included genetics 101, CDG updates, organoids as disease models and clinical trials as a partnership between physicians and patients, among others
    • CDG resource exchange sessions included educational planning and advocacy, speech and technology, therapy interventions, special needs planning and behavioral health and family planning

The 2022 Rare Disease Day Symposium took place last weekend at the Dana On Mission Bay Resort in San Diego. The event, sponsored by Sanford Burnham Prebys and CDG CARE, brought together researchers, clinicians and families from around the world to discuss new medical breakthroughs and meet other families living with rare diseases.

The 2022 Rare Disease Day Symposium took place last weekend at the Dana On Mission Bay Resort in San Diego. The event, sponsored by Sanford Burnham Prebys and CDG CARE, brought together researchers, clinicians and families from around the world to discuss new medical breakthroughs and meet other families living with rare diseases.

Rare Disease Day is celebrated on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases, defined by the United States government as those that affect fewer than 20,000 people. Although there are more than 7,000 individual types of rare diseases that affect more than 30 million people in the United States, this year’s conference gathered more than 200 people focused on CDG, an extremely rare group of genetic disorders that affect children. 

CDG, which stands for congenital disorders of glycosylation, occurs when sugar molecules on many of our proteins are absent or incomplete. CDG causes serious, often fatal, malfunctions in various organ systems throughout the body.

“This is a chance for the global CDG community to come together, support one another and continue to try to find treatments,” says Hudson Freeze, PhD, director of the Human Genetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys. “It’s always my favorite weekend of the year, and I’m thrilled that we’re able to do it again safely.” Freeze’s primary research focus is CDG, and he has personally worked with more than 300 patients. 

Exchanging knowledge
The three-day symposium opened Friday morning with introductory comments from three important figures and philanthropists in Sanford Burnham Prebys’ history: T. Denny Sanford, Malin Burnham and Debra Turner. Congressman Scott Peterson also spoke on the importance of funding medical discoveries. 

“Our job is to make a positive difference. We do that best when we all work together,” said Sanford in his video introduction. “Congratulations on all your work. You make me very proud.”

This year, 19 scientists and clinicians in total spoke on the latest research in modeling, treating and understanding CDG. The full program of presentations can be found here.

Connecting families
Although Rare Disease Day is an important opportunity to share the latest scientific research, one of the highlights of the event doesn’t involve science at all. To provide space for families to take a break from the presentations and socialize, staff and volunteers transformed the Bayside Conference Room of the Dana resort into a child care and respite area packed full of toys and games.

In addition to giving families space to play, Rare Disease Day hosted several group activities for families, including a magic show on Saturday and a surprise visit on Sunday morning from Disney’s Anna and Olaf.

​Longtime friend of the institute Damian Omler, a thirteen-year-old who is the only person living with his rare genetic mutation, had a great time dancing along to “Let it Go” and playing catch with his father, Donnie.

And while the joy in the respite conference room was palpable, there was something else, less tangible, in the air as well: hope.

“Meetings like this bring us hope and help us raise awareness for CDG,” says Donnie. “That gives us a sense of purpose each and every time we attend the conference. And we won’t stop, even 20 years from now.”