One Million Dollars in Prader-Willi Research Funded by FPWR

WASHINGTON, DC - The Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR) has reached an important milestone by awarding over $1,000,000 in research grants for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) since was established in 2003. With the recent announcement of six new grants, FPWR has unded a total of twenty-six research projects headed by leading scientists around the world, who are working on many different aspects of the disorder.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to support these exciting research projects, which will better help us understand and treat PWS", said Theresa Strong, Chair of the FPWR Scientific Advisory Board. She went on to say, "The broad spectrum of these funded studies reflects the challenges and complexities of PWS and how
vitally important continued research truly is."

The new projects that put FPWR over the $1,000,000 mark are:

• Behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in youth with Prader-Willi syndrome: A pilot project. Dr Eric Storch,University of South Florida.
  

• An improved mouse model of Prader-Willi syndrome. Dr. James Resnick, University of Florida
  

• Behavioral treatment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in youth with Prader-Willi syndrome: A pilot project. Dr Eric Storch,University of South Florida.An improved mouse model of Prader-Willi syndrome. Dr. James Resnick, University of Florida
  

• R-loop structures maintain epigenetic imprints at the Prader-Willi imprinting center. Dr Frederic Chedin, University of California, Davis
  

• The risk of early onset Alzheimer's disease in Prader-Willi syndrome. Dr. Anthony Holland, University of Cambridge
  

• Exploring the potential mitochondrial dysfunction in mouse models of Prader-Willi syndrome. Dr. Virginia Kimonis, Unviersity of California, Irvine
  

• Activation of the maternal allele at the PWS/AS domain as a potential therapeutic approach (year 2). Dr. Aharon Razin, Hebrew University Medical School
  

Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that is one of the most common genetic causes of severe childhood obesity. PWS is characterized by poor growth and low muscle tone in infancy, with excessive appetite and extreme obesity commonly beginning in early childhood, especially if the environment is not strictly controlled. Individuals with PWS face additional challenges including behavioral difficulties and intellectual disability. An understanding of Prader-Willi syndrome is likely to have major implications for understanding hunger and obesity in the general population.

PWS affects all races and ethnicities, both sexes with equal frequency, and occurs in approximately 1 in 15,000 births. Although the genetic region responsible for PWS was identified more than 25 years ago, it is still not clear how this genetic glitch leads to characteristics found in PWS. FPWR was founded in 2003 to support research in PWS with the goal of developing new therapies and a cure.

About FPWR: Founded in 2001, the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate the challenges of Prader-Willi syndrome through the advancement of research.