Eighty percent of FA patients survive beyond age 20, carry a high risk for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oropharyngeal and anogenital regions connected with high morbidity and mortality. In addition to intrinsic genetic instability, HSCT and a number of other factors contribute to...
Supported Research
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Fanconi anemia (FA) patients are at exceptionally high risk of developing epithelial cancers. We aim to identify features of these cancers that provide new insight into their origins, and better ways to treat these cancers in the context of FA patients. As part of this...
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As a monogenic blood disorder with potential survival disadvantage, Fanconi anemia has long been considered an attractive target for conventional gene therapy but success has been elusive. Consequently, there has been increasing interest in developing techniques to catalyze correction of the disease-causing mutation at the...
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My lab has developed a rapid and efficacious Cas9-based approach to introduce programmed sequence changes to human cells with ease. This work takes advantage of our discovery that Cas9 is extremely long-lived on its target DNA, yet releases a flap of single stranded DNA after...
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Current therapy for FA is limited to allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), a process associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly when an ideally matched donor is not readily available. Therefore, novel therapies that improve or replace SCT are needed. Progress in FA therapy has...
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By virtue of their inability to repair a specific form of DNA damage, persons with Fanconi Anemia (FA) are appreciably more susceptible to development of certain cancers. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which arises from the lining cells of the mouth, occurs at >500 fold...
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The objective of this proposal is to conduct a pilot study of metformin to treat FA. This pilot study will explore whether Metformin is safe and efficacious in improving hematopoiesis in patients with Fanconi Anemia. We will focus on pediatric and young adult patients with...
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Fanconi anemia (FA) patients suffer from progressive bone marrow failure due to the defective hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in their bone marrow. The mechanisms of why the HSCs in FA patients are defective remain elusive. Recent studies suggest that DNA damage induced by physiological stress...
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The cause of injury and loss of blood-forming stem cells (Hematopoietic Stem Cells, HSC) in Fanconi anemia is due to abnormal repair of a specific type of DNA damage in which two DNA strands get permanently knotted to each other. This type of injury probably...
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As a monogenic blood disorder with potential survival disadvantage, Fanconi anemia has long been considered an attractive target for conventional gene therapy but success has been elusive. Consequently, there has been increasing interest in developing techniques to catalyze correction of the disease-causing mutation at the...
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Institution: Laboratorio de Citogenetica, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Mexico City, México Area of expertise: Medical genetics, dysmorphology. My work: I am a medical geneticist from Mexico City, introduced to the field of Fanconi anemia (FA) by my mentor, Dr. Sara Frias, whom...
At the Fanconi Cancer Foundation (FCF), we understand the critical importance of addressing mental health alongside physical health for individuals with Fanconi anemia (FA) and their family caregivers. Recent research on the mental health challenges faced by adults with FA...
The 36th Annual Fanconi Anemia (FA) Scientific Symposium and Adult Retreat took place in Charlotte, North Carolina in September 2024, and brought together researchers, clinicians, advocates, individuals with FA and community members from across the globe. This year’s theme, “It Takes...