Fox 4: Researchers at Children's Mercy receive grant to study deadly childhood disease

By Regan Porter

An international team of researchers, including researchers at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, received a $3.1 million grant to investigate a devastating childhood disease.

Children’s Mercy said researchers will use the money to study a deadly childhood disease, leukodystrophy.

It’s a rare genetic disorder that affects 1 in 5,000 children. Doctors say it causes progressive loss of neurological function.

Dr. Tomi Pastinen said the grant will extend genomic tools developed at Children’s Mercy to understand the unsolved leukodystrophies.

He said there are more than 60 forms of Leukodystrophy. Some can be treated – many more have experimental therapies available.

See the full story via Fox 4

PRESS RELEASE: Children's Mercy Kansas City, University of Utah and RI-MUHC Researchers Receive Nearly $3.1M Grant to Study Deadly Childhood Disease