Research

An MRI-based study found that progression of white matter involvement in the brain among patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) occurred at different rates and correlated with cognitive decline — despite ongoing treatment. White matter abnormalities also were tied to elevated bloodstream levels of the neurofilament light chain (NfL)…

A 1-year-old toddler with infantile-onset Pompe disease has normal heart and motor function and is growing well after receiving in-utero enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with Lumizyme (alglucosidase alfa) and standard postnatal immunotherapy, according to a report. The successful outcome with Ayla is the result of the first in-utero use…

Scientists at the University at Buffalo (UB) in New York have received a five-year $3.8-million grant to develop methods to improve the accuracy of newborn screening for Pompe disease and two other rare genetic disorders. The project, “Enhancement of Newborn Screening Diagnostic Paradigms to Improve the Efficacy of…

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was effective in a newborn with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) who developed treatment antibodies and had low blood levels of a type of immune cell called neutrophils, according to a case report. Researchers stressed the importance of including Pompe disease in newborn screening programs…

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) given as early as possible may lead to better outcomes in children with classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD), according to a long-term study conducted in Taiwan. “Our study demonstrates that administering ERT as soon as feasible and employing short-term hydrocortisone premedication leads to better…

Stem cell-mediated gene therapy normalized glycogen build-up in muscle, heart, and brain tissue of a Pompe disease mouse model, a study shows. Treatments also restored cellular defects and motor impairment associated with the condition. The researchers recommended stem cell-based gene therapy as a candidate for future clinical development. The…

A number of enzymes involved in synthesizing glycogen – the molecule that accumulates to toxic levels in Pompe disease – are elevated in a mouse model of the disease and these metabolic changes may contribute to the disease’s progression, a study found. In fact, the buildup of these proteins…

In an interview study, mothers of children who tested positive for Pompe disease in genetic newborn screening programs — and would be diagnosed with the late-onset type, or LOPD — expressed uncertainty about the age of symptom onset for their sons and daughters, and concerns about their child’s future.

The function of the diaphragm, a major muscle in breathing, is significantly reduced over a year in adults with Pompe disease relative to healthy people, a small study showed. These deficits, detected through a chest MRI test, were not accompanied by significant changes in lung function tests. In addition,…

If you have a rare disease or are the caregiver of someone with a rare disease, then you’re probably no stranger to research companies reaching out to you. Companies conduct a range of studies and seek out those living with rare diseases to gain more information. While everyone…