Tampa, U.S.A. — Scientists, clinicians and patients will gather at the USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) in downtown Tampa September 6 to share research insights and energize the search for a cure for Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) and related disorders.

This year, for the first time, the scientific symposium will be live streamed through the Friedreich Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) Facebook page, with opportunities for visitors to join the discussion long distance. To connect to the live stream and learn about cutting edge research advances in FA, visit: http://www.facebook.com/CureFA/app_196506863720166 on September 6 at 6 p.m.  You do not need a Facebook account to join.

The fourth annual scientific symposium “Understanding a Cure” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. onThursday, Sept. 6, at USF Health CAMLS, 124 South Franklin Street, Tampa, FL 33602. The symposium, free and open to the public, is hosted by FARA and the USF Ataxia Research Center (ARC) and includes a tour of CAMLS.

FA (Friedreich’s ataxia) is a rare, debilitating neuromuscular disorder. Symptoms, typically emerging between ages 5 and 15, often progress to severe disability and include the following: loss of coordination and muscle weakness that leads to wheelchair use, energy deprivation and fatigue, vision impairment, hearing loss, slurred speech, aggressive scoliosis, diabetes, and life-shortening cardiac disease. There is not yet an approved treatment or a cure.

“This year’s Friedreich’s Ataxia Symposium will build upon the momentum of the last three years by highlighting some of the most promising discoveries yet from leading researchers in the field,” said Theresa Zesiewicz, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the USF Ataxia Research Center, who moderates the symposium. “The opportunity for patients who cannot be with us in person to join the interactive symposium in real-time via Facebook has generated a lot of excitement. We’re looking forward to lively discussions.”

The list of speakers and the evening’s agenda can be found at: http://curefa.org/energyball/sep6.html 

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Orlando, U.S.A. — A cross-disciplinary team of international researchers gathered in Orlando, July 6-7 to present emerging research on the role glucose transporters and glucose metabolism may have in the management of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer treatment, heart disease, epilepsy Glut1 Deficiency Syndrome and Alzheimer’s. The conference represents the first time researchers and healthcare professionals from different specialties have gathered to present research on the topic.

The organization of the conference is all in a day’s work for the mother of two, Samra Savioz. In 2010, she worked with her husband to start a foundation, the Remi Savioz Glut1 Foundation, aimed at raising awareness for their daughter Remi’s rare neurometabolic brain disease, Glut1 Deficiency.

But with many cases still going undiagnosed because of the lack of information available and the rarity of their daughter’s condition, the Savioz’s started to leverage their own medical backgrounds to help others impacted by the disease.

The Foundation has become a valued asset for parents needing support and guidance on treatment options, like the ketogenic diet, which has been identified as an integral part of disease treatment. Now, Samra provides one-on-one diet training and hopes to expand the understanding of how ketones can impact other diseases.

Sponsored by the Remi Savioz Glut1 Foundation, The Glucose Transporter Conference brought together several medical disciplines including pediatrics, neuro-oncology and endocrinology.

Eighteen abstracts were presented on the role of glucose transporters:

Topics for the conference included:

• The link between glucose starvation in shrinking cancerous tumors or slowing down the progression of cognitive diseases.
• Insights into the structural basis of Glut1 transporters in the brain to expand the clinical spectrum.
• Alternative therapies like ketone esters, which can have broader applications, like restoring cognitive function to Alzheimer’s patients or preventing seizures.
• Applying knowledge about glucose metabolism in the brain for obesity and diabetes treatment.
• Among the highlights of the research will be exploring the role of ketone esters.

“The conference will provide an important platform for us to share research focused on exploiting the anti-seizure and neuroprotective effects of therapeutic ketosis. Ketone esters may offer great hope for patients with drug-resistant seizure disorders and neurodegenerative diseases,” stated Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida before the conference. “Our recent studies have demonstrated that specific ketone esters mimic the anti-seizure effect of fasting and the ketogenic diet.”

Glut1 is a glucose transporter protein, which is directly or indirectly involved in a host of diseases, including cancer and diabetes. Novel therapeutic agents aimed at altering glucose transport activity may have a broad impact on human health. There are four types of glucose transporters with Glut1 being responsible for moving glucose from the bloodstream into all of the cells in the body, especially the brain.

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