Author Archives: Forest Ray PhD

Skeletal muscle regulates how the body stores and metabolizes fats through the Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) gene, establishing a molecular link between muscle health and conditions such as obesity and diabetes, according to a recent study in mice. The findings also showed that a diet rich in short-chain fatty acids…

Scripps Research and Tempus are launching a study that uses genetic and other information to better understand what drives the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. By understanding how and why individual blood sugar levels change in response to food, researchers hope to improve the treatment of…

The two COVID-19 vaccines that recently received emergency approval from the U.S. and other worldwide regulatory agencies are expected to pose little risk to the rare disease community, including to patients with compromised immune systems or those participating in gene therapy studies. That was the message of a recent…

Genetic predisposition to weight gain might protect against breast and prostate cancer, a new large study from the U.K suggests. The findings contradict prevailing theory — and public health advice — and imply that the relationship between obesity and cancer risk is more complicated than previously thought. The study, “…

The case of two brothers with differing symptoms but the same genetic mutation underlying Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) — a rare form of genetic obesity — supports the hypothesis that genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors all interact in this disorder. The study, “Clinical characteristics and ultra-widefield fundus…

Genetic testing early in life can improve the diagnosis of conditions such as Alström syndrome, a rare form of genetic obesity, a case report suggests. Advanced technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), which can examine thousands of genes at once, may help find the most adequate treatment options…

Same But Different, a U.K. nonprofit that uses the arts to bring communities together, is holding a calendar photography competition to raise awareness for rare diseases. Under the theme “A Glimmer of Hope,” the competition is a means to “visually express the hope that exists for people affected by…

Raremark, an online rare disease patient community, has launched a digital platform called Xperiome, aimed at streamlining the search for new medicines for rare disorders and incorporating more patient input into research. The goal is to help the pharmaceutical industry deliver innovative new therapies faster and smarter, the…

The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases has launched a nationwide National Burden of Rare Disease Survey to measure the full implications, economic and social, of living with rare disease in the United States. People with rare diseases know that the impacts of such conditions extend beyond just medical…

The Alexion Charitable Foundation has awarded $1.1 million in grants to programs that support those with rare diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization recently announced. The grants will support activities that align with the foundation’s Rare Belonging focus, a set of funding priorities aimed at improving the…