Texas A&M Researchers Receive NIH Grant to Improve Quality of Life for People With Down Syndrome
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A team of researchers at the Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research metabolism in people with Down syndrome.
By targeting genes that affect metabolism, the team may be able to develop drug therapies for physical and mental symptoms of the condition, like muscle loss, accelerated aging, and lower cognitive function, thereby improving the quality of life for people with Down syndrome.
The new grant will also make Dr. Weston Porter, a professor in the VMBS’ Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology and lead researcher on the project, one of the highest NIH-funded researchers at Texas A&M.
While the new grant will specifically look at SIM2’s role in regulating skeletal muscle metabolism, Porter also hopes that the project will lead to studies of other parts of the body and will eventually make new therapies available to people with Down syndrome.
“Given the amount of research happening on genetic diseases right now, it’s becoming much more possible to develop drugs for those diseases,” he said. “Working with Down syndrome is tricky because there are 20 to 30 genes changing, but, incrementally, we hope to improve people’s quality of life.”
Porter and his team are also developing ways to involve the Down syndrome community in offering feedback and ideas for future research directions.
“We want to know their concerns so that we can prioritize research that addresses them,” he said. “They can help us decide which aspects of life with Down syndrome to focus on next in our research — things like improved mobility, cognitive function, or life expectancy.”
Ultimately, Porter believes the new study will have a big impact for people with Down syndrome.
“It’s going to be transformative,” Porter said.
Read the full story here: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/press-releases/porter-down-syndrome-grant/
Author: Courtney Price, VMBS Communications
Source: https://vetmed.tamu.edu/
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