Colorado's Children's Clinic was designated as a Center of Excellence for Angelman Syndrome

The Chromosome 15 and Related Disorders Clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado has been designated as a Centre of Excellence by both the Angelman Syndrome Foundation (ASF) and the Dup15Q Alliance. This prestigious recognition is given to health institutions capable of delivering specialized attention to patients with Angelman syndrome.

Dr. Diana Walleigh, the clinic's director and an associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, expressed her gratitude for the designation in a hospital press release. Dr. Walleigh emphasized the potential in each patient and the clinic's goal to help unlock that potential.

The clinic, which provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary care, includes access to specialists like neurologists, therapists, genetics specialists, and dietitians. This approach ensures that patients receive holistic care tailored to their specific needs.

The designation recognises the comprehensive care the clinic provides to those with Angelman syndrome and its involvement in research. The clinic is one of only three in the U.S. to carry this designation from both organisations, joining the Massachusetts General Hospital ASF clinic and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina.

The designation brings hope for finding a potential cure for Angelman syndrome through research, more therapies, and family support. The clinic is also integral in designing and implementing the LADDER database, a collaborative effort to collect Angelman and Dup15q syndromes patients data. Centres of excellence may also enroll patients in clinical trials, further accelerating treatments and interventions for these syndromes.

It's important to note that while the designation focuses on the care and research for patients, no information about self-care or well-being for caregivers was provided in the text.

The UBE3A gene defect, usually due to a deletion in chromosome 15, causes Angelman syndrome. Dup15q syndrome, which involves duplication of a portion of chromosome 15, shares some similarities with Angelman syndrome.

The ASF and the Dup15Q Alliance have accredited specific institutions in the USA as Centres of Excellence, which provide specialized care for Angelman patients. One known accredited institution is the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, which received significant funding to advance Angelman syndrome research and clinical trials.

This new designation brings renewed optimism for the Angelman and Dup15q syndrome communities, offering a potential pathway towards a better understanding of these conditions and, ultimately, a potential cure.