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Rare disease in the time of COVID: Damian Omler’s story

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

February 25, 2022

Omler family at Damian's 5th grade graduation

How a one-of-a-kind kid and his family stay connected during the pandemic

Thirteen-year-old Damian Omler is the only person in the world with his rare genetic mutation, which presents him and his parents (Donnie and Gracie) and 11-year-old brother, DJ, with major challenges every day. Damian’s condition—a congenital disorder of glycosylation, or CDG—causes him to have seizures, and requires him to have help with routine tasks such as using the restroom and dressing. And, he must use a wheelchair for mobility.

Despite these obstacles, Damian lives a rich, fulfilling life. But protecting his health during the COVID-19 pandemic threw a major wrench into the Omlers’ routine.

“In the early days of the pandemic, we didn’t know what kind of effect COVID would have on Damian, so we had to take a lot of precautions, including not seeing a lot of family and friends, which was very isolating,” says Donnie. 

“Damian is also very sociable—we call him the hot potato because he just goes from person to person, so the pandemic was hard for him in that way as well,” adds Gracie. “We were so glad when we were finally able to get our family vaccinated so we could be more a part of the community.”

Staying at home had its ups and downs for the Omlers
Although most of us can relate to the isolation of the pandemic, there are unique challenges that come with being a family living with a rare disease during this time. 

“Appointments were so much more difficult for Damian over Zoom,” says Gracie. “I had to help him through his physical therapy, and I was nervous that I might be doing it wrong or even hurting him.”

Despite these complications to Damian’s care, there were some unexpected silver linings to spending more time at home.

“Damian does choir and dance for his electives at school,” says Gracie. “I love that with remote learning I was able to interact with him and the class and learn the dances with him.”

“She definitely got a lot of accolades from the teachers for being one of the parents who participates,” adds Donnie, jovially. 

Returning to Sanford Burnham Prebys’ Rare Disease Day
The Omlers are longtime friends of Sanford Burnham Prebys. They first visited the Institute in 2012, when Damian was 5. Before then, they’d been struggling to find a diagnosis for their son, who’d been missing developmental milestones since he was born. 

With the help of Institute professor Hudson Freeze, PhD, who has dedicated his career to CDG research, doctors were finally able to diagnose Damian’s specific case in 2015. 

“After the diagnosis, we sat and smiled for a long time,” says Donnie. “Just knowing was such a relief.”

Since 2016, the Omlers have also been regular participants in the Institute’s Rare Disease Symposiums, which help patients, researchers and clinicians from around the world connect in order to support one another and learn about the latest advances in rare disease research.

The most recent Rare Disease Day the Omlers attended was in 2020, just before the pandemic took hold. And although the event didn’t take place last year, this year it’s back stronger than ever. And the Omlers can’t wait to be back too.

“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 go. And we won’t stop, even 20 years from now.” 

The 2022 Rare Disease Day Symposium & CDG/NGLY1 Family Conference will take place February 25–27 at the Dana Hotel on Mission Bay in San Diego. Scientific sessions will be held on the 25th and 26th, and the Family Conference will take place on the 27th.

And if you see a young man acting like a social “hot potato” on the 27th, that’s Damian. He’ll probably say hi to you.

Institute News

One at a time: How a Sanford Burnham Prebys professor changes patient lives

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

February 22, 2022

Hudson Freeze, PhD

Having worked for decades to improve the lives of children with rare diseases, Hudson Freeze is still on the case.

Hudson Freeze, PhD is not your average researcher. His work focuses on congenital disorders of glycosylation, or CDG, a severe group of diseases that affect fewer than 2,000 children worldwide. Those conditions occur when sugar molecules on many of our proteins are absent or incomplete. That can lead to serious, often fatal, malfunctions in various organ systems throughout the body.

Although Freeze is not a clinician, he is deeply involved in identifying these rare CDG mutations, and providing families with answers to what is often a challenging diagnosis. Because CDG is a group of incurable diseases, families of children with CDG reach out to Freeze almost weekly, seeking help.

“If someone asks for help, I say, ‘Let me try,’” says Freeze. “Any glimmer of hope is a path worth pursuing, anything to make life easier for children with CDG.”

Freeze has been working on CDG for more than 25 years and has worked with more than 300 patients, and he has kept in touch with many of them over the years.

“Not a day goes by when I don’t think of them and their struggles—but mostly their smiles,” says Freeze. “It’s the reason we won’t give up on trying to understand them and maybe even finding treatments.”

Treating disease with sugar
Although CDG presents as permanent and irreversible mutations, Freeze’s research has been instrumental in discovering an approach to alleviate severe symptoms of CDG—such as seizures—in certain patients. The answer: sugar. Thanks to Freeze and others, there are about 30 patients worldwide who are now taking mannose, a simple sugar molecule, to help alleviate their CDG symptoms.

Today, the strategy of treating diseases with simple sugar molecules is being explored in other glycosylation disorders, as well as less-rare diseases such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and diabetes.

Hudson Freeze, PhD poses with Damian Omler, who has CDG.

Hudson Freeze, PhD poses with Damian Omler, who has CDG.

Rare Disease Day at Sanford Burnham Prebys
Freeze’s impact on the lives of families living with CDG extends well beyond the walls of his lab. Since 2010, he has organized an annual Rare Disease Day Symposium each February, where scientists, doctors and families gather from around the world to discuss the latest research and meet other families coping with rare diseases. Last year, the pandemic forced the Institute to press pause on the event, but this year, Rare Disease Day is back in San Diego and stronger than ever.

“It’s a chance for the global CDG community to come together, support one another and continue to put our heads together to find treatments,” says Freeze. “It’s always my favorite weekend of the year, and I’m thrilled that we’re able to do it again safely.”

The 2022 Rare Disease Day Symposium & CDG/NGLY1 Family Conference will take place February 25–27 at the Dana on Mission Bay Resort in San Diego. Scientific sessions will be held on the 25th and 26th, and the Family Conference will take place on the 27th.

Register Here

Institute News

Fighting rare diseases: Finding treatments and bringing hope to families

AuthorMonica May
Date

March 23, 2021

Hudson Freeze, PhD and José Luis Millán, PhD

The majority of rare diseases affect children, most of whom have an underlying genetic cause for their condition that is incurable.

The majority of rare diseases affect children, most of whom have an underlying genetic cause for their condition that is incurable.

Often, their own doctors have never heard of their disease, let alone know how to treat it.

But there is someplace they can turn to for help. The Human Genetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys provides insights into the genes and environmental factors that play a role in the development of childhood diseases. Their work often leads to better ways to diagnose, treat, and sometimes, even cure children.

On March 18, 2021, two patients whose lives were saved by discoveries made by Hudson Freeze, PhD, and José Luis Millán, PhD, joined the scientists for a conversation about what this work means to them and how their lives have been impacted. Watch the full discussion below.

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Families, physicians and scientists unite at Sanford Burnham Prebys’ 11th Annual Rare Disease Day Symposium

AuthorMonica May
Date

March 16, 2020

Rare Disease Day group photo

This year’s event centered on CDG, a rare genetic condition that affects around 1,500 people worldwide.

With more than 270 attendees and 30 world-renowned scientists and clinicians, Sanford Burnham Prebys’ 11th Annual Rare Disease Day Symposium was officially the largest in the event’s history. This year’s discussion centered on congenital disorders of glycosylation, or CDG, a rare genetic condition that affects around 1,500 people worldwide.

Malin Burnham, T. Denny Sanford and Debra Turner, honorary trustees of Sanford Burnham Prebys, opened the three-day meeting with moving remarks. A theme emerged: Medical advances are accelerated when key stakeholders work together—including scientists, physicians, people with CDG and their families, patient advocacy groups, granting agencies, industry and philanthropists.

“Our annual symposium aims to create an ecosystem in which key stakeholders can collaborate and communicate,” said Hudson Freeze, PhD, director of the Human Genetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys and symposium chair. “Together, we celebrate our successes, focus on challenges and discuss the future of CDG research.”

 

Presenters at the meeting described the power of the ecosystem. Since the first conference a decade ago where scientists reported on the basic biology of CDGs, today we have promising clinical trials for the most common CDG mutation. In addition, a historic nationwide effort to establish the natural history of CDGs launched this year—which addresses decades of unresolved questions and helps remove barriers to starting clinical trials.

First discovered in the 1990s, scientists now know that CDG is caused by mutations that disrupt the body’s normal process of attaching sugars to proteins. Children with CDG have varying degrees of speech and language difficulty, poor balance, motor control, vision problems, hearing impairments and seizures. 

Because CDG is rare, many patients bounce between doctors and clinics for years before they receive an accurate diagnosis. At the symposium, an innovative session called the “Doctor-is-in” session connects families with medical researchers and clinicians in small groups. For some medical researchers, the session is the first time they have met a person with CDG.

The conference was co-organized by Sanford Burnham Prebys and CDG CARE, a nonprofit organization founded by parents seeking information and support for CDG.

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist joins historic effort to help children with rare disease

AuthorMonica May
Date

October 3, 2019

Hudson Freeze, PhD

Hudson Freeze, PhD, professor of Human Genetics at Sanford Burnham Prebys, has joined a historic effort that establishes—for the first time—a nationwide network of 10 regional academic centers, Sanford Burnham Prebys researchers and patient advocacy groups to address decades of unresolved questions surrounding congenital disorders of glycosylation, or CDG, a rare disease that affects children. The consortium is funded by a $5 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

“We are extremely pleased that the NIH is investing in an initiative that will improve the lives of people affected by CDG,” says Freeze, who leads efforts to develop and validate disease biomarkers that will aid in diagnoses, and measuring treatment benefits during clinical trials. “Although globally the number of people living with CDG is relatively small, the impact on the lives of these individuals and their families can be profound. We look forward to working with the patients, families, physicians, scientists and other stakeholders focused on this important study.”

CDG is caused by genetic mutations that disrupt how the body’s sugar chains attach to proteins. First described in the 1990s, today scientists have discovered more than 140 types of mutations that lead to CDG. Symptoms are wide-ranging, but can include developmental delays, movement problems and impaired organ function. Some children may benefit from a sugar-based therapy; however, developing treatments for those who need alternative treatment options has been hindered by a lack of natural history data—tracking the course of the condition over time—comprehensive patient registry, and reliable methods to establish the CDG type.

Working together, the consortium will overcome these hurdles by: 

  • Defining the natural history of CDG through a patient study, validating patient-reported outcomes and sharing CDG knowledge 
  • Developing and validating new biochemical diagnostic techniques and therapeutic biomarkers to use in clinical trials 
  • Evaluating whether dietary treatments restore glycosylation to improve clinical symptoms and quality of life

Freeze will lead the efforts to develop and validate biomarkers for CDG, working alongside the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Mayo Clinic. The principal investigator of the CDG Consortium Project is Eva Morava, MD, PhD, professor of Medical Genetics at the Mayo Clinic. The patient advocacy groups involved are CDG CARE and NGLY1.org. 

Sanford Burnham Prebys and CDG Care will host the 2020 Rare Disease Day Symposium and CDG Family Conference from February 28 to March 1 in San Diego, which welcomes researchers, clinicians, children with CDG and their families, and additional CDG community members. Register to attend. 
 

Institute News

Year in review: SBP highlights from 2018

AuthorMonica May
Date

December 17, 2018

Sanford Burnham Prebys 2018 Year in Review

The science never stops at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), and 2018 was no different. 

From an Alzheimer’s breakthrough to advancing promising medicines for pancreatic cancer and autoimmune disorders, our hardworking scientists were busy at the bench and beyond. As the year comes to a close, we are sharing a selection of our most widely read stories from the past 12 months. 

1.    Scientists uncover a potential near-term treatment for Alzheimer’s disease 
Jerold Chun, MD, PhD, and his team revealed that never-before-seen DNA recombination in the brain is linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The research suggests that existing FDA-approved drugs to treat HIV might hold potential as near-term Alzheimer’s treatments and provide an explanation for why previous clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease have failed. The study was published in Nature.

2.    SBP women awarded American Heart Association Fellowships
The American Heart Association awarded grants to three SBP scientists. This funding advances projects that align with the organization’s mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. 

3.    Compound discovered at SBP enters Phase 1 clinical trial for pancreatic cancer
Solid tumors are often surrounded by thick fibrotic walls, making it hard for treatments to get access to the tumor cells. CEND-1, a drug candidate discovered in the lab of Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD, has entered a Phase 1 clinical trial for metastatic pancreatic cancer. CEND-1 streamlines the delivery of cancer drugs deep into tumors. CEND-1 was licensed to the private company DrugCendR Inc. in 2015. 

4.    Scientists solve a medical mystery
Hudson Freeze, PhD, and his team joined collaborators around the globe to crack the case of Saul-Wilson syndrome, a rare form of dwarfism with an unknown cause. Now, the 14 known people with the syndrome and their families have answers: A gene alteration that affects the cell’s protein packager, the Golgi complex, causes the condition. 

5.    Immune therapy developed through SBP and Lilly collaboration enters Phase 1 clinical trial
A therapy that arose from a research collaboration between Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) and SBP entered a Phase 1 clinical trial. The therapy is a biologic that inhibits inflammation—a common response linked to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease.

Interested in keeping up with SBP’s latest discoveries, upcoming events and more? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Discoveries.

To help SBP scientists focus on pioneering research that transforms human health, donate now. 

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Parents gain answers about their child’s mysterious condition, thanks to SBP scientists

AuthorMonica May
Date

December 11, 2018

Hudson Freeze, PhD, Sanford Burnham Prebys

For the parents of a six-year-old Hispanic boy and a seven-year-old Qatari girl, answers remained elusive. Both children had alarming symptoms, including developmental delays, uncontrollable seizures and “floppy baby syndrome” (hypotonia). But despite doctors’ best efforts, the origin of the disease remained unknown. 

Now, these two children are linked by rare mutations in a gene called FUK—providing their families and doctors a better understanding of the cause of their medical conditions. Using biochemical techniques to analyze the boy’s cells, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Research Institute (SBP) scientists determined that a malfunctioning enzyme called fucokinase is to blame—caused by a mutation in the FUK gene. Because cells from the girl weren’t available, computer modeling was used—and indicated this same mutation likely caused the disease. The study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Like a molecular spark plug, the fucokinase enzyme ignites one step in a cellular communication cascade—which culminates in the linkage of a sugar, fucose, to another carbohydrate. This final fucose-carbohydrate product is important for immune system regulation, tissue development, cell adhesion (“stickiness” to the environment) and more. 

Based on these findings, the scientists now know the condition is a congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG), an umbrella term for disorders caused by abnormal linking of sugars to cellular building blocks, including proteins, fats (lipids) and carbohydrates. Although more than 130 types of CDGs exist, the boy and girl are the only known living individuals who have this mutation. 

“Our hope is that by reporting this information, we will help doctors grant more answers to patients and their loved ones,” says Hudson Freeze, PhD, senior author of the paper and director and professor of the Human Genetics Program at SBP. “Based on our findings, genetic databases around the world will now note this mutation causes disease—a potentially life-changing shortcut in the quest for answers.” 

The researchers analyzed skin and immune cells that were collected from the boy. They observed reductions in the amount of the fucokinase enzyme—as much as 80 percent in skin cells and more than half in immune cells, compared to a control protein. Consistent with these findings, downstream products typically created by fucokinase weren’t incorporated into the final fucose-carbohydrate product—indicating the enzyme was not working.

Because cells from the girl were not available, the scientists used computer modeling to predict the impact of her FUK gene mutation. This approach indicated the mutation occurs at an important site on the enzyme that would likely cause disease.

“We know that dampening down the activity of the FUK gene is linked to metastatic cancer—a deadly event that occurs when tumors gain the ability to travel throughout the body,” says Freeze. “In addition to providing long-awaited answers to these families, these findings could help us understand how certain cancers spread throughout the body, including liver, colorectal and skin cancers (melanoma).” 

Both children were identified through the National Institutes of Health’s Undiagnosed Diseases Network, which is designed to accelerate discovery and innovation in the way patients with previously undiagnosed diseases are diagnosed and treated. 

Additional study authors include: Jill Rosenfeld, Lisa Emrick, MD, Lindsay Burrage, MD, PhD, Brendan Lee, MD, PhD, William Craigen, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine; Mahim Jain, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; David Bearden, MD, University of Rochester School of Medicine; and Brett Graham, MD, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine and Indiana University School of Medicine. The study’s DOI is https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2018.10.021

Research reported in this story was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants R01DK099551, U01HG007709, and K08DK106453; Baylor College of Medicine Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (U54 HD083092), Diana & Gabriel Wisdom and the Rocket Fund. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. 

Interested in keeping up with SBP’s latest discoveries, upcoming events and more? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Discoveries.

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Meeting the “man who saved my son’s life”

AuthorMonica May
Date

November 15, 2018

Saraa and Baraa Ghoniem and Hudzon Freeze-CDG

“I’ve got really cool stuff in my body,” 6-year-old Baraa Ismail proclaimed to Hudson Freeze, PhD, professor in the Human Genetics program at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP).

And, indeed, he does. 

Baraa and his mother, Sara, didn’t know it at the time, but he was born with a rare change in his DNA that interfered with his body’s ability to attach a sugar to proteins—altering the course of his life. 

From birth, Baraa struggled with eating. He dealt with upset stomachs and lethargy, which is unusual for a young child. Sara searched high and low for an answer, but doctor visit after doctor visit, year after year, Baraa remained undiagnosed. 

After four years of uncertainty, Sara connected with Dr. Tawhida Yassin Abdel Ghaffar. She suspected a rare condition called congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) and ordered a test. Her instincts were correct—Baraa had one form of CDG. More than 130 types of the condition exist.  

In addition to working with her doctor, Sara was introduced to a new online community of parents and individuals with CDG. It was through a private Facebook group that she connected with another parent whose child has CDG. He told her, “You have to talk to Hudson Freeze at SBP.”

For more than three decades, Freeze and his team have studied CDG with the ultimate goal of developing a treatment. When Freeze heard from Sara, he recommended that she talk to her doctor about giving Baraa mannose, a nutritional supplement. 

Years ago Freeze helped discover that mannose can treat one specific form of CDG—incredibly reversing symptoms as quickly as days sometimes (note: Freeze is not a medical doctor). But it only works if a person has one kind of mutation; treatments are still limited for the 129 other types of CDG that exist. Freeze reasoned that even if he didn’t have Baraa’s genetic sequence in hand, if the boy had that mutation, the mannose would work. 

Incredibly, it did. Within a month, Baraa’s energy was back. And today, Baraa is a Flash-loving, book-devouring little boy who loves to run and sing. 

Baraa was doing so well that Sara even decided to take a vacation for the first time in years. She and Baraa traveled from their home in Egypt to visit her brother in Irvine, California—which happened to be a short drive from SBP. Sara reached out to Freeze, whom she calls “the man who saved my son’s life,” to see if a visit was possible. Freeze was delighted to meet with her and Baraa and give them a tour of his lab. 

“Really, my role was very small in this story,” says Freeze. “But what this illustrates is the importance information has for these families. A simple piece of information changed someone’s life. We’d love to grow so we can eventually become a true hub of information for these families—and help even more people like Sara and Baraa.”  

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Professor Hudson Freeze helps dreams come true for rare disease patient

AuthorHelen Hwang
Date

February 27, 2018

Morgan Webb Liddle rides Bailarino, coached by Olympian Steffen Peters

When Morgan Webb Liddle is riding a horse, it’s one of the only times she feels “free,” she says. “I was born to ride,” says Morgan, 25, who uses a wheelchair. Morgan and her mother Merell Liddle flew from Australia to attend SBP’s Rare Disease Day Symposium and Family Conference in February 2018.

During their trip to San Diego, Hudson Freeze, PhD, professor and director of SBP’s Human Genetics Program, arranged for Morgan to meet Olympic equestrian Steffen Peters. When they met, Morgan literally cried tears of joy. Freeze has been working with Morgan’s family to find a treatment for Morgan’s disease.

At Arroyo Del Mar Stables, Morgan received expert dressage coaching from Peters, who won a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro. Morgan rode on a chestnut beauty named Bailarino, owned by Akiko Yamazaki, who gave Morgan special permission to ride her horse every day while she was attending the Rare Disease conference. Peters, impressed by Morgan’s riding, said, “What you do is much more amazing than what I do.”

Morgan suffers from CDG—which stands for congenital disorder of glycosylation—a disease that disrupts how the body’s sugar chains attach to proteins. Freeze is working on finding a cure for CDG. Liddle is one of the few adult CDG patients since many succumb to the potentially fatal effects of the metabolic disorder as children.

Her mother says, “Morgan has virtually no sense of balance. She does an amazing job just staying on the horse. She is currently working on new ways to ride because she has difficulty seeing the edges of the arena and the letter markers because of her poor peripheral vision.” Nevertheless, Morgan aims to compete in the Para-Olympics one day. Morgan has already won the Australian National Championship for Para-Dressage multiple times.

When Morgan was 14 years old, she was finally diagnosed for CDG after her physical and neurological condition began to worsen rapidly. Knowing the diagnosis was a huge relief for Morgan’s family since doctors were stumped by her illness. Freeze is one of the few experts in the world who helps diagnose and research treatments for CDG patients. “Hud has been amazing,” says Morgan’s mother.

“We share a special kinship,” says Freeze, who grew up with a disabled sister. “When I first met Morgan, she reminded me of my sister.”

For the symposium’s reception, Morgan performed a modern lyrical dance performance, while Freeze sang ABBA’s “I Have a Dream.” As the scientist and patient were preparing for their performance, Freeze said to Morgan, “We share a dream—to find a treatment for CDG.”

Institute News

Diagnosing a rare disease in children

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

February 6, 2018

Rare disease

Children born with the rare genetic disorder known as CDG often live for years before they receive a diagnosis.  CDG—which stands for congenital disorders of glycosylation—can cause serious, sometimes fatal, malfunction of different organs and systems in the body, including the nervous system, muscles and intestines. Children with CDG have varying degrees of speech and language difficulty, poor balance, motor control, vision problems, hearing impairments and seizures.

CDGs are difficult to diagnose partly because there are only about 1,800 known cases worldwide. But through global networking and the unwavering determination of researchers and clinicians, new patients are being discovered every year, providing important information to parents to help them better understand what they are dealing with.

Hudson Freeze, PhD, director and professor of the Human Genetics Program at SBP, is a one of the scientific leaders helping diagnose new cases of CDG. Freeze and his colleague, Bobby Ng, recently led an international team charged with diagnosing three unrelated individuals thought to have a new type of CDG—but not confirmed. The work, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, confirmed that the three had a specific kind of CDG never seen before, adding to the more than 125 existing types of CDGs.

“All CDG disorders are caused by mutations that impair glycosylation—the complex process by which cells build long sugar chains that are attached to proteins called glycoproteins,” explains Freeze. “These sugar chains are crucial for cellular growth, communication and essential cell functions.

“There are many genes involved in proper glycosylation,” says Freeze. “When two parents happen to carry a mutation on the same gene, they end up with a one-in-four chance of passing both mutated copies on their child, and that causes the disorder.”

Increasingly, babies and children with unexplained health problems such as developmental delays and organ dysfunction undergo whole-exome sequencing, a technique that sequences the part of the genome that encodes proteins.

“Exome sequencing is used to find mutations in genes, but sometimes we don’t know if the mutations found actually translate to a genetic condition like CDG,” says Ng.

“Our lab steps in when a suspected mutation is found in one of the many enzymes involved in glycosylation,” says Ng. “We perform biochemical tests to confirm that the mutation impairs the glycosylation process, helping families narrow in on a CDG diagnosis.”

“The three patients in the current study are the only confirmed cases of the FUT8-CDG type in the world,” says Freeze. “These very rare diagnoses are only made possible when physicians, researchers and parents reach out across continents to families who’ve had nothing but questions.”

For the past 8 years, SBP has organized an annual symposium in San Diego where scientists, doctors, and families gather to discuss the latest in science and medicine, and meet other families coping with rare diseases.

For more information on the 2018 SBP Rare Disease Day Symposium and CDG Family Conference, click here.