Announcing the University at Buffalo FOXG1 Research Center, led by FOXG1 Biologist/Parents

University at Buffalo announces the launch of the FOXG1 Research Center to study FOXG1 syndrome’s impact on brain development and translate research to treatments for FOXG1 syndrome.
The FOXG1 Research Center will be led by leading experts Soo-Kyung and Jae Lee, whose own daughter has FOXG1 syndrome.
“This center will make UB the home of the world’s premier research center devoted to the studies of FOXG1 syndrome, as well as provide our campus with a new neurodevelopmental biology training program and numerous research funding opportunities,” says Soo-Kyung Lee, PhD, Empire Innovation Professor and Om P. Bahl Endowed Professor in the UB Department of Biological Sciences, who will serve as the FRC’s inaugural director as well as the Chief Scientific Officer of the FOXG1 Research Foundation. “The FRC will harness the expertise of our faculty to unravel the remaining mysteries of FOXG1 syndrome and, hopefully, help Yuna and the other children impacted by this disorder.”
The FOXG1 gene is one of the most important genes for early brain development. A master regulator gene, FOXG1 carries the instructions for making a protein called forkhead box G1 that regulates the activity of other genes, many of which are crucial for cellular connectivity and communication.
Impairment of FOXG1 causes cognitive and physical disabilities as well as life-threatening seizures.
There are only about 1,000 known patients diagnosed with FOXG1 syndrome worldwide, according to the FOXG1 Research Foundation. However, the FOXG1 gene has been linked to autism, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia, suggesting therapy development may be transferable to more common disorders.
The Lees, who joined UB in 2019, have established themselves as leading experts on FOXG1 syndrome since their 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 2. Their research has found that the FOXG1 gene and protein remain active in mice after birth, providing hope that some symptoms can be alleviated.
“Although we cannot go back and undo the damage to people who have FOXG1 syndrome, we may be able to modify the effects of the disease and increase their quality of life,” says Jae Lee, PhD, professor of biological sciences.
They’ve recently had success in this area. Mice who began receiving the Lees’ viral gene therapy a day after their birth saw some functions restored. Soo-Kyung Lee received a $1.5 million grant from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative earlier this year to continue the research.
Planned research topics for the FRC include drug discovery, sensory issues like sleep disturbance and mood changes, and the role of mitochondria in neuro-developmental disorders.
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Help cure FOXG1 syndrome: foxg1research....
Help cure FOXG1 syndrome: foxg1research....