FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2019 ANN ARBOR, MI

Genomenon Partners with BPAN Warriors to Find a Cure for Ultra-Rare Disease

Mastermind Genomic Search Engine Produces Database of Mutations Related to Genetic Disease BPAN

Genomenon, today announced a partnership with rare disease advocacy group BPAN Warriors, with the goal of providing resources to assist researchers and encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in finding efficacious treatments for Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (BPAN), a progressive disease causing abnormal iron deposits in the brain.

BPAN Warriors is an international community of advocates who have loved ones directly affected by BPAN. Their goal is to facilitate access to scientific research and community resources, and to support families dealing with the ultra-rare disease. The Genomenon team became aware of the organization when founder Sarah Chisholm signed up for the Mastermind Genomic Search Engine, which provides access and insight into scientific research.

As a result of the connection with Chisholm, Genomenon used Mastermind to produce a curated database of the research related to 94 unique variants (genetic mutations) found within the gene linked to BPAN (WDR45). The annotated “genomic landscape” provides a comprehensive overview of all existing research related to the disease.

As part of the partnership, Genomenon will make the comprehensive genomic landscape for BPAN freely available to any pharmaceutical company or researcher interested in using the data. The availability of this data will not only help researchers better understand the disease, but will provide a solid foundation for pharmaceutical companies to begin the search for a cure with a resource that would otherwise take years to assemble. Genomenon has also donated Mastermind Professional Edition licenses to the BPAN Warriors team.

“It is our hope that providing the BPAN Warriors with this vital information on the genetic markers related to BPAN will spur more research and drug development to find a cure for this devastating disease.” said Mike Klein, CEO of Genomenon. “By starting with a comprehensive genomic landscape curated from the published research, scientists can stand on the shoulders of their predecessors to understand the molecular drivers of a disease and accelerate their own research.”

“We are so grateful to Genomenon, and couldn’t be more excited to bring this valuable resource to our scientific, industry, and academic partners. BPAN Warriors understands the importance of having the most up to date genomic data readily available, and recognizes the role that the Mastermind search engine can play in advancing the knowledge base for BPAN,” said Sarah Chisholm, founder and executive director of BPAN Warriors. “Now our research partners will have access to latest research publications at their fingertips. We are hopeful that this data can accelerate treatment discoveries.”

More information on Mastermind Comprehensive Genomic Landscapes

Read the BPAN Article in The Journal of Precision Medicine