News

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)’s RareLaunch training program will host two days of free virtual workshops in December, with the aim of empowering leaders to start non-profit organizations and research programs to help people with rare diseases.  “The RareLaunch program is…

Functional surgery can improve walking ability in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), and patients are generally satisfied with the outcomes, a study indicates. The study, “Long‐term walking ability and patient satisfaction after lower limb functional surgery in patients affected by charcot‐marie‐tooth disease: A retrospective study,” was published…

The CMT Research Foundation has launched a new research program that will seek to develop a precision medicine approach to treat people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, the foundation announced in a press release. The approach focuses on silencing the gene that is causing the disease in each…

A photo of a bespectacled young boy, his red baseball cap slightly askew as he  enjoys time outside, will be featured on the front cover of an upcoming calendar in the “Same But Different” contest to raise awareness about rare disorders. “A Lovely Day Out in Kew Gardens,”…

To promote physical activity in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, the charity CMT UK shared seven exercise videos that patients can carry out in the comfort of their home. The exercises are presented by Rebekah Knight, a physiotherapist diagnosed with CMT1A, the most common form of CMT…

A majority of rare disease patients using telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic thought the experience positive, and many would like the option of continuing its use in future appointments, a series of surveys found. The surveys were conducted by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and involved more than 800…

Patients with Charcot Marie Tooth Type 1A (CMT1A) disease appear to experience a structural reorganization in their brains, particularly in a region associated with movement and balance called the cerebellum, a recent study found. These alterations, researchers suggest, may be a…

A new formulation of an antioxidant called curcumin may be effective in alleviating the symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A) disease, a rat study suggests. The formulation was seen to lower oxidative stress and promote nerve cell myelination in a CMT1A rat model, ultimately leading to better sensory…

Using bioinformatics — computer-based analyses of biological data — scientists discovered 30 new genes that might be involved in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). Their findings also provide new insights into the biological processes and gene interactions at play in CMT, further expanding the current knowledge and understanding of the…

Same But Different, a nonprofit U.K. group that uses art for social change, is inviting people to choose their favorite photographs in a calendar contest to heighten awareness of rare diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The organization’s panel of judges has pared the number of contest submissions…