A new gene therapy designed to restore frataxin protein to near-normal levels rather than produce excessive amounts improves movement, nerve signaling, and cell health in a mouse model of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a study reports. The treatment, called miniFXN7, was delivered in a single injection before symptoms began and used…

Sometimes people ask me what I do with myself all day. I know the question is probably meant casually, maybe even kindly, but it lands hard. I’ll feel myself get flustered, the way I often do when a question carries an assumption I cannot quite name in the moment. Before…

Sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli and other vegetables, was shown in a laboratory study to improve nerve cell survival in Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) and to act on several biological processes implicated in the rare progressive disease. The scientists say the compound may be “a strong … drug candidate”…

Today, the cabinets, tiles, and other materials for our new kitchen were delivered, and suddenly the renovation feels real. I love the cabinet colors, flooring, backsplash, and everything else I picked out. But now that it is all here, stacked in boxes and waiting to be installed, I keep worrying…

At the end of June, I sustained a fall that resulted in a leg fracture. It happened while boarding the plane home from a fabulous vacation with my husband, my children, and my parents. My son and daughter were very concerned about what, if anything, was broken. After we…