Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

An $11.2-million, five-year grant has been awarded by the Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to uncover high-resolution details of the entire human genome. This project should help better understand the genome’s structure and function, as well as provide important clues about the…

The hunger hormone ghrelin, when measured in infancy, may be a biomarker for predicting the early onset of scoliosis — a sideways curvature of the spine that looks like the letter C or S — in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a study suggested. Beginning in early infancy,…

Radius Health plans to initiate a Phase 2/3 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its investigational therapy RAD011, a lab-made oral cannabidiol therapy to treat excessive appetite, or hyperphagia, in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The study, called SCOUT-015, is expected to begin by the…

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) — a non-invasive brain stimulation technique — altered brainwave patterns in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) in ways consistent with suppressing impulses in response to food, a pilot study in patients reported. These findings…

Growth hormone therapy should be universally available, given to adults as well as children with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and based solely on a genetic PWS diagnosis.  This is the position of the Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board of the…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA) in the U.S. has announced its upcoming 36th National Convention,  “Hope’s on the Horizon,” will be moving to an all-new virtual format.  The PWSA will provide patients and families within the…

Intranasal use of the hormone oxytocin for three months had positive effects on social and eating behavior in boys with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), according to a small clinical trial.  The results suggest intranasal oxytocin also may be an…

Starting growth hormone therapy before the first birthday has significant benefits over beginning treatment at an older age in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), an analysis found. Children treated early grew taller, with a height similar to healthy children…

Levels of uric acid in the blood are lower in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) who are obese than in people without PWS but who also are obese, a study shows. Fat-free body mass was the strongest predictor of uric acid levels. Researchers…

High protein meals induce the secretion of the insulin-stimulating hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), suggesting that these kinds of meals may help suppress appetite, a pilot study has found.  The study, “…