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FPWR Blog

PWS People: Dedicated Researcher Joins Our Cause AND Our Community

We're pleased to bring you this guest blog by Yinna Ng, FPWR Volunteer Our PWS community is a strong and cohesive one that achieves great things. While a large part of it is built on the determination and strength of families and friends of those wit...

Topics: Research

Breaking Boundaries: Bringing Parents and Researchers Together at the FPWR Research Conference

We're pleased to bring you this guest blog by Ali Shenk, FPWR Volunteer and Conference Participant As usual, the recent FPWR conference in San Antonio, TX, did not disappoint! Kudos once again to the Viroslav family and the rest of the San Antonio te...

Topics: Research

Skin Picking In PWS: An Overview of Incidence and Therapies

It is well accepted that self injurious skin picking is a major struggle among those with PWS, and is an upsetting challenge for parents and caregivers as well. However, there are few studies in this area and statistics are lacking regarding the freq...

Topics: Research

Important steps toward reactivating the maternal allele in PWS: new study examines how drugs can regulate PWS/AS gene expression

One common question in the PWS community is “isn’t there a way to just ‘turn on’ the silent PWS genes on chromosome 15?” As a reminder, the PWS genes are present but silenced on the maternal (mom’s) chromosome 15 in all people with PWS, regardless of...

Topics: Research

Has the mystery of early puberty in PWS been solved?

Individuals with PWS typically have incomplete sexual development, but, paradoxically, often begin to exhibit signs of puberty much earlier than expected. The incidence of bone fide ‘precocious puberty’ in PWS is not entirely clear, but it is evident...

Topics: Research

From discovery to therapeutic...learning about the FDA process

Knowlege is empowering! For those who are interested in learning more about the drug discovery and approval process, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) has a new informational website directed specifically at patient education and involvement.

Topics: Research

Replacing missing 'snoRNA' activity and restoring serotonin function with drugs

Within PWS and general obesity research, there are several labs currently working in the area of serotonin signaling. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter and this pathway contributes to the regulation of appetite and mood, and is reported to be altered i...

Topics: Research

Targeting serotonin for PWS

In a recent email correspondence, Dr. Cunningham at the University of Texas Medical Branch thanked FPWR and described the contribution that FPWR grant funds (2010-2011) have had on the work coming out of her laboratory. She writes, "thank you for the...

Topics: Research

Congratulations to Dr. Francke ~ William Allen Award recipient

We are very fortunate in PWS community to have many outstanding researchers who are excited by the challenge that PWS presents scientifically. Dr. Uta Francke is one such investigator, a physician-scientist who has spent many productive years advanci...

Topics: Research