When: Thursday, April 21, 2016, 7 p.m.
Where: OHSU Auditorium, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Rd.
What is a rare disease? The National Institutes of Health define it as a disease that generally affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. However, about 7,000 such disorders have been identified, affecting an estimated 25-30 million Americans! Cary Harding, M.D., professor of molecular and medical genetics in the OHSU School of Medicine, studies inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), which are rare genetic disorders in which the body cannot properly turn food into energy. Sometimes people are born with the disorders and sometimes they develop them as adults. Existing medical options, such as a restricted diet, are less than ideal. Gene therapy is a promising new approach for people with IEM. Dr. Harding and his colleagues are on the cutting-edge of developing gene transfer therapies for the treatment of IEM.
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