Steve Bryson, PhD, science writer —

Steve holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada. As a medical scientist for 18 years, he worked in both academia and industry, where his research focused on the discovery of new vaccines and medicines to treat inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases. Steve is a published author in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals and a patented inventor.

Articles by Steve Bryson

New Mouse Models Developed of Rare Mutation Seen in Some Patients

Researchers have developed and characterized mouse models of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) carrying a rare disease-causing mutation, a study reports. The rare FXN gene mutation, dubbed G130V, is found in some FA patients alongside the common gene expansion defects seen in most cases. These patients experience less severe symptoms and…

G-CSF Stem Cell Therapy Safely Raises Frataxin Levels in Pilot Trial

Repeat use of G-CSF stem cell therapy, an approved medicine, was safe in adults with Friedreich’s ataxia and associated with significant elevations in frataxin protein and disease-related biomarkers, a pilot study in the U.K. reported. Because interventions that increase frataxin and reverse the harmful effects of the protein’s deficiency are…

Way of Identifying What Protects Frataxin May Help in Slowing FA

Levels of the protein frataxin, which are abnormally low in people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), are further reduced by excess iron and increased protein degradation, a study found. Screening approved compounds in a yeast model identified those that prevented this additional frataxin loss in cells isolated from a patient,…

Thinning of Eye’s Retina May Be Useful Marker of FA Progression

Reduced thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in the eye’s retina is associated with worse disease severity in people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), an Irish study concluded. Follow-up measurements showed a thinning in this layer was linked to worsening disease severity, suggesting that regular eye assessments may…

TRACK-FA Clinical Trial Seeks Participants

In addition to three recruiting clinical studies that were announced in June, an additional trial is seeking participants with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) to investigate how the disease affects the brain, spinal cord, and cognition. Listed in a monthly newsletter released by the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA),…

FA Mouse Models May Not Fully Mimic Human Disease

Truncated forms of frataxin, the protein that is lost in people with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), were found predominantly in mouse tissues, contrasting with the dominance of non-truncated frataxin in human tissue, a study found. The findings have implications for mouse models used to mimic the condition in disease research…

A Conversation With Rare Disease Advocates