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Ladder Database

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November 25, 2019

Ladder Database

A new network platform, Linking Angelman and Dup15q Data for Expanded Research (LADDER), will offer caregivers access to information about a larger population of patients living with Angelman or Dup15 syndromes to better inform their decisions regarding treatments and interventions.

RTI International (RTI), a nonprofit research institute, together with Angelman Syndrome and Dup15q Patient Advocacy Groups and the Clinic Network will develop and host the clinic network database to be shared across multiple national and international sites. This collaborative effort is funded by the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) and the Dup15q Alliance.

“The database will establish a global network of patient-powered data that will be used to improve care for people living with Angelman or Dup15q syndrome,” said Anne Wheeler, PhD project lead and RTI researcher at the Center for Newborn Screening, Ethics, and Disability Studies. “Furthermore, the heightened level of data analysis and discovery will increase our understanding of the disorder and help researchers target therapies and advance clinical trials more quickly and efficiently.”

Angelman and Dup15q syndromes are rare neuro-genetic disorders that result from changes on chromosome 15. These changes are estimated to occur in one in 15,000 live births. Characteristics or symptoms of Angelman syndrome and Dup15q Syndromes include developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, and walking and balance disorders. Dup15q syndrome is highly additionally associated with autism and significant intellectual disabilities. Because of their genetic relationship to autism and other disorders, many researchers believe that curing Angelman or Dup15q syndromes will lead to significant findings for similar disorders.

“The combination of data collection methods and cross disorder investigation is key to driving discovery in rare disorders like Angelman and Dup15q Syndromes,” says Vanessa Vogel-Farley, Executive Director of the Dup15q Alliance. “We are proud to support this first-of-its-kind project in 15q related disorders.”

RTI will support the development of the database by:

  • Finalizing standardized forms for clinicians and parents;
  • Developing a website and portals for data entry;
  • Managing data from various clinic sites; and
  • Working with external partners, like the Angelman Syndrome Natural History Study and the Global Angelman Registry, to link other existing datasets to the prospective clinical data.

In addition to developing and hosting the database, RTI will assist the ASF and Dup15q alliance with data analysis and oversight, including establishing protocols and parameters for data usage and publication.

“We are excited to partner with RTI and DUP15q Alliance to provide a robust database that will be used to enhance research, care and aggressively move clinical trials forward,” says Amanda Moore CEO of ASF. “The ASF is honored to provide funding for such an essential database to support our mission of working towards a therapeutic cure.”

About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach — one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.