News

HNF’s Estela Lugo Helps Raise Awareness of CMT

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is one of the most common inherited neuropathies, affecting an estimated 150,000 Americans. But very few people outside the CMT community have ever heard of the illness. Estela Lugo says that’s partly because of its funny name. “No one knows what it is, and because the…

European Initiative Targets Diagnosis, Treatment of Rare Diseases

A new international consortium based in Paris, and funded largely by the 28-member European Union, intends to speed the diagnosis of rare diseases, while also accelerating the development of treatments for the 95% of such illnesses that currently don’t have one. The European Joint Programme on Rare Diseases (EJP…

Schwann Cells Discovery May Be Good News for CMT Research

New findings suggest that Schwann cells are able to make the protective layer myelin for multiple nerve cells. This discovery goes against conventional wisdom about how Schwann cells work, and it could have major implications for our understanding of peripheral neurodegenerative diseases, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). The study with that…

$10M in NINDS Grants Will Support CMT Biomarkers Project at URMC

Some $10 million in National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) grants aimed at accelerating clinical trials in rare neurological disorders will support a Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease biomarkers project. Funding comes from NINDS’ Clinical Trial Readiness for Rare Neurological and Neuromuscular Diseases program, established to back investigations…

Poorer Physical Activity in CMT Children Linked with Higher Disability

Children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease have reduced physical activity and ambulation, factors linked with greater disability, a study suggests.  The study, “Physical activity of children and adolescents with Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies: A cross-sectional case-controlled study” was published in the journal PLOS One. Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) leads to progressive muscle…