Collaborative Reseach 

Experiments in fruit flies that seek to uncover the underlying pathology of MEPAN

Experiments at the National Institute of Health to model MEPAN gene mutations in worms to learn more about its impact on neuronal function in humans

A research proposal from the Burkart Lab at the University of California San Diego to study protein-protein interactions in MEPAN to discover its pathology and develop possible treatments

Exploring proof of concept studies in a mouse model for a potential gene therapy for MEPAN

Additional Efforts

Building a Collaborative Network​

Creating a broader research network to study disorders in and around mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism is an important part of finding treatments and therapies. More concerted research in mtFAS could uncover treatments that may stretch across a number of disease silos in addition to MEPAN - including some acidurias, pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiencies, Leigh’s disease, and NBIA disorders.

Advocacy

We attend and speak at industry events to advocate for more rare disease research and equitable access to genetic testing. Every rare disease family, regardless of their racial, socioeconomic background or geography, should have access to the resources necessary to avoid a diagnostic odyssey and have a better quality of life.