Empowered Patient Podcast Developing Gene Therapy for Friedreich’s Ataxia Cardiomyopathy with Nolan Townsend Lexeo Therapeutics and Jen Farmer FARA
Nolan Townsend, CEO of Lexeo Therapeutics, and Jen Farmer, CEO of FARA, the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance, are working together to better understand and treat Friedreich's Ataxia. This rare genetic condition includes cardiomyopathy and scoliosis. Lexeo Therapeutics is studying gene therapy as a potential treatment for the cardiovascular component of the disease. The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) plays a role in funding research, understanding the natural history of the disease, and advocating for treatments.
Nolan explains, "For most patients in Friedreich’s ataxia, cardiovascular disease becomes a very challenging component of the pathology, and it is what’s called a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenocopy. So, it mimics hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a thickening of the heart wall. And that typically progresses as well, which, for many patients, ends up being the cause of mortality associated with the disease. This pathology does appear to be amenable to treatment approaches like gene therapy, and it’s one that we’re working on here at Lexeo."
Jen elaborates, "As Nolan mentioned, it’s caused by mutations in a gene called FXN, and the mutation in the gene causes a silencing of the gene. So, individuals with FA have what we call frataxin deficiency. And frataxin is a highly conserved protein that is important in lots of different cells, which is why the disease affects multiple organ systems. So, while it’s a genetic disease, it’s this protein deficiency that causes the pathology within the cell. The cells just don’t make enough energy and don’t function properly, and that’s what contributes to the underlying cause of the disease."
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