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2014 Puzzle Project: Small Molecule Screening for Potential PWS Therapeutics

2014 Puzzle Project: Small Molecule Screening for Potential PWS Therapeutics

We all wish, hope and work for a ‘cure’ for PWS -  new treatments for the hunger, a new therapy to improve behavior, interventions to make our child’s life healthier, happier and more independent. After years with very few new drugs and interventions to test in PWS, we are about to embark on an important new period of PWS research.

All individuals with PWS have a set of normal genes on their maternally-derived chromosome, but the genes in the PWS regions are ‘silent’.  Dr. Jiang will screen a library of 10,000 small molecules to identify candidate drugs that can reactivate the PWS region genes on the maternal chromosome 15, specifically SNRPN and snoRNAs. Promising candidate molecules will be tested for efficacy in PWS models, with the goal of ultimately evaluating their effects in patients. FPWR is asking the community to support Dr. Jiang’s work to identify candidate drugs for PWS. Contributions towards this study may be made through our Puzzle Project at puzzle.fpwr.org. Your $500 donation is tax deductible and will go directly towards the screening of candidate drugs for the use in Prader-Willi syndrome.

Purchase Your Piece of the Puzzle Today!

Share this opportunity with your family and friends!  Download the 
2014 Puzzle Project Support Request and donation form. For Canadian Donors, please visit 
http://www.fpwr.ca/donate/  to make your puzzle donation. You will enter FPWR Canada's Pay Pal site where you may designate your donation to the 2014 Puzzle Project and a puzzle piece will be reserved for you.

Topics: Research

Susan Hedstrom

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Susan Hedstrom is the Executive Director for the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research. Passionate about finding treatments for PWS, Susan joined FPWR in 2009 shortly after her son, Jayden, was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome. Rather than accepting PWS as it has been defined, Susan has chosen to work with a team of pro-active and tireless individuals to accelerate PWS research in order to change the future of PWS. Inspired by her first FPWR conference and the team of researchers that were working to find answers for the syndrome, she joined the FPWR team in 2010 and led the development of the One SMALL Step walk program. Under Susan’s leadership, over $15 million has been raised for PWS related research.