News and updates from the ARRE Foundation

Significant and abrupt changes to the research and healthcare infrastructure in the United States by the Trump administration over the last month have caused concern for many advocates in the rare disease community. The ARRE Foundation seeks to help educate our community about the ASXL research and healthcare infrastructure as context for understanding how these changes could impact medical care and research for ASXL-related disorders now and in the future.

The ARRE Foundation welcomes Dr. Cory Rillahan, a pediatric oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital, to its Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. As both a physician-scientist specializing in pediatric leukemias and a parent of a child with Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, Dr. Rillahan brings invaluable expertise and passion to our mission of advancing research and support for ASXL-related disorders.

Dr. Samantha Regan of the University of Michigan has been awarded a $20,000 research grant as part of Uplifting Athletes’ 2025 Young Investigator Draft Class, co-funded by the ARRE Foundation. Her work on the ASXL3 gene aims to advance the understanding of Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, bringing the community closer to pre-clinical tools and potential therapeutic targets.

The ARRE Foundation is excited to announce a $545,000 research investment in 2025, bringing our total commitment to ASXL-related disorders to $1.3 million since 2018. This funding will support clinical studies, expand the ASXL Natural History Study and Biobank, and advance research into potential treatments, including a drug screening program using FDA-approved drugs. Together with the ASXL family community and dedicated researchers, we’re driving progress toward better care and therapies for Bohring-Opitz, Shashi-Pena, and Bainbridge-Ropers syndromes.

Two recent case reports document the successful use of pregabalin (Lyrica) to treat challenges related to Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome (ASXL3-related disorder), including extreme behaviors and suspected pain episodes.

The ARRE Foundation is making significant progress on our PCORI-funded project to develop and prioritize research questions shaped by the voices of families living with ASXL-related disorders.

The ARRE Foundation announces the appointment of Sarah Scott as the new Family Education and Engagement Coordinator. Sarah brings a wealth of experience with her background in social work and her deep personal connection to the ASXL community.