Patient Empowerment Program: A Rare Disease Podcast

The Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) is composed of distinguished, independent experts in antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology, clinical trial design and evaluation, and drug development. Many are also dedicated clinicians who care for patients with rare diseases. This board provides unbiased safety oversight by reviewing accumulated data from all investigator-initiated studies involving n-Lorem’s ASO medicines.

n-Lorem's ...

Connor Gooley is the first patient ever treated with an ASO for TUBB4A-Related Leukodystrophy, a condition that severely disrupts his nervous system, slows nerve impulses, and impairs his fine motor skills. As a result, Connor cannot speak, walk, sit up on his own, or chew well. Still, he manages to army crawl, propel himself in his wheelchair, and use a gait trainer. He’s also remarkably resilient—rarely crying or complaining desp...

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a groundbreaking, and mind-blowing, scientific advancement—one of many that help make it possible for n-Lorem to do what we do. In short, typical skin cells (such as fibroblasts) are taken from an individual and reprogrammed using specific factors to become iPSCs. These iPSCs are then redifferentiated into any desired cell type in the body, such as muscle or liver cells. You can do that? Y...

What Are Chemicals? | How Drugs Work in the Body | Understanding Homeostasis

We’re all made of chemicals—but what exactly is a chemical? In this video, we break down the basics: chemicals are forms of matter that exist as solids, liquids, or gases. Inside living organisms, these chemicals create complex networks that keep us alive and balanced—a process known as homeostasis.

Drugs are chemicals too! They work by interacting with th...

What makes antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) so special? Let’s first understand what an oligonucleotide is. An oligonucleotide is a short strand of synthetic DNA or RNA (a nucleic-acid chain), usually consisting of up to approximately 20 nucleotides long—designed to bind with specific sequences in the body. At n-Lorem, our ASO technology is built on more than 30 years of research, innovation, and investment. It’s uniquely suited...

For n-Lorem's Chief Operating Officer, Sarah Glass, the mission of n-Lorem is deeply personal. Her son Ethan was diagnosed with a nano-rare mutation, a journey that has shaped her commitment to the cause. A geneticist by training, Sarah joined n-Lorem to help lead and guide the organization in its efforts to offer hope and potential help through treatment opportunities to nano-rare patients and their families. This is more than jus...

Our bodies are like bustling cities of cells, always chatting and working together. They don’t just send long-distance messages to organs—they also gossip locally, getting nearby cells to spring into action. Juxtacrine communication is like a handshake between cells—they have to be up close and personal to pass the message along! Unlike long-distance cellular calls, juxtacrine signaling requires direct contact, where one cell’s sur...

How do cells communicate with each other? With trillions of cells in the human body, seamless collaboration is essential within this intricate cellular society. Cells work together to form organs, and when one organ needs another to perform a task, they send signals across distances—much like picking up the phone and calling someone. Organ Hotline

📞 Eyes: Hey, Brain? This is Eyes. We’re reading this post about how organs commun...

Rosie was the first of three HNRNPH2 patients to receive treatment with an n-Lorem ASO, helping to pave the way for others. Her parents, Nicole and Bobby, share their daughter's journey and how they have adapted as a family to meet her unique needs. As a pediatrician, Nicole understands the complexities of medical care, yet she acknowledges that even she doesn’t always have the answers when it comes to raising a child with a nano-r...

Sloane was born with a KIF1A mutation and is a special case at n-Lorem—she was the first patient to receive a medicine originally designed for someone else. Her mother, Megan, and grandfather, Tom, join the Patient Empowerment Program to share her journey and provide an update on how she’s doing six months after treatment. 

On This Episode We Discuss:

• Sloane’s KIF1A diagnosis 
• Nano-rare diseases affect the entire family
• Sloa...

Five years of creating medicines, instilling hope, and overcoming steep challenges—all with the singular goal of improving the lives of nano-rare disease patients. Along the way, we’ve proven that WE CAN treat these patients safely and effectively, delivering significant benefit. But what else have we discovered throughout this journey? 

Thank you to Hongene Biotech Corporation for sponsoring this 5-Year Anniversary episode.  On T...

Walt Whitman’s 1855 poem, I Sing the Body Electric, is a celebration of the human body and its intrinsic connection to the universe. During that era, scientists were just beginning to understand that humans are, indeed, electrical beings. Whitman’s deliberate use of the word "electric" in his tribute to the human body was quite remarkable, as the term was not widely used at the time and electricity for human use was still in the ex...

Join Stan Crooke, n-Lorem founder, CEO, and host of the Patient Empowerment Program Podcast, alongside Amy Williford, Sr. Director of Communications and Donor Relations, for a special episode.

In this post-colloquium Q&A, Stan recaps the 2024 Nano-rare Patient Colloquium and the progress n-Lorem has made as the organization nears its 5-year anniversary, shares his candid reflections on the event, and dives into additional th...

This year’s Colloquium spanned two perfect autumn days in beautiful Cambridge, Massachusetts where hundreds of nano-rare community members from around the world gathered under a single roof to learn, connect, and support one another. We’re pleased to announce that the event welcomed over 750 attendees, both in-person and virtually. It’s each and every one of you who made the event such a success! For this special episode, we gather...

Two years of treatment—two years of strength, courage, and blazing a trail for other nano-rare patients! 🎉 Susannah's story was the first shared on the Patient Empowerment Program podcast. Now, two years later, her father, Luke Rosen, and her physician, Dr. Jennifer Bain, detail Susannah’s remarkable progress since beginning regular treatments—highlighting improvements in her motor skills, cognition, energy, and more!

Susannah's...

Take a glimpse behind the curtain as we offer you a sneak peek of the 2024 Nano-rare Patient Colloquium. We’re thrilled to welcome back longtime biotech journalist and current Features Editor of The Transmitter, Brady Huggett, to the podcast. In an interview with n-Lorem founder and CEO Stan Crooke, they preview the upcoming Colloquium, diving into key topics that will shape the conversation at the event and around nano-rare diseas...

Hongene Biotech is a producer of RNA building blocks – the first step for what’s possible in RNA drug-discovery and development. David Butler, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Hongene, joins the Patient Empowerment Program to discuss why Hongene aims to help make RNA medicines accessible and affordable for patients everywhere, regardless of prevalence.

On this episode we discuss:

2:40 Hongene Biotech and what do they do

8:09 T...