GENEration Hope

How RNA Therapies Are Changing Duchenne | Dr. Yoshitsugu Aoki

Dr. Yoshitsugu Aoki is a physician-scientist at the forefront of RNA therapeutics and genetic medicine.As Director of the Department of Molecular Therapy at the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Tokyo, Dr. Aoki has helped lead the development of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—including viltolarsen, an exon-skipping therapy approved in both Japan and the United States.In this conversation, we explore how RNA therapies became a reality, what they’re doing for patients today, and where the field is heading next.⸻🔬 What we cover: * What exon skipping is (in simple terms) * How ASO therapies are helping Duchenne patients * Breakthrough clinical results and what they mean * Delivering therapies to the brain * The future of RNA, gene therapy, and combination treatments * How AI and robotics could accelerate drug development ⸻🌐 GENEration HopeI’ve launched the new GENEration Hope website along with a newsletter and weekly news updates covering the latest breakthroughs in genetic medicine.👉 Visit: generationhope.co👉 Subscribe to stay up to date on what’s coming nextIf you find this valuable, liking and subscribing really helps support the project.⸻⚠️ DisclaimerThis content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Dr. Guoping Feng (MIT) on SHANK3 Gene Therapy, Brain Disorders, and What’s Coming Next

Welcome — I’m Ron Kleiman, and this is GENEration Hope.In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Guoping Feng, Professor of Neuroscience at MIT, affiliated with the McGovern Institute, the Yang Tan Collective, and the Broad Institute. We talk about: • Why he left medicine to pursue research that could lead to treatments for kids  • The urgency of moving faster — because “kids are growing up every day”  • Gene therapy delivery, the blood–brain barrier, and what’s changing with new vectors  • How AI and machine learning are speeding up vector design and behavioral testing  • The miniSHANK3 approach: why the full SHANK3 gene is too large, how a mini gene is designed, and how it’s delivered  • Where genome editing (base editing / prime editing) may fit in the future If conversations like this help, please subscribe, like, and share — it’s the best way to support GENEration Hope. This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.Chapters00:00 Cold open: the urgency + “that’s our hope” 01:07 Intro: state of genetic medicine (April 2026) + guest setup 04:29 Who Guoping is (MIT / Yang Tan Collective) + mission 04:54 Hangzhou med school → why he shifted to research 06:12 From fruit flies to mouse models (Drosophila → mammals) 06:40 PhD at SUNY Buffalo + moving into mouse genetics 07:20 Postdoc at WashU + “benefit patients” as the goal 07:52 Conditions his lab targets: PMS, Rett, SYNGAP1, Dravet 09:23 Can AI speed discovery? What actually moves things faster 10:15 Donors + centers at MIT + enabling translation to clinic 11:26 “Kids are growing up every day” + the role of young scientists 15:20 Why primate studies matter + safety confidence 16:25 Ben Deverman vectors + BBB is species-specific 17:39 ICV vs IV delivery + combining gene therapy with better capsids 20:14 AI protein design + ML behavior tracking + trial design 22:25 Lisa Yang’s story + SHANK3 connection 25:01 Why rare monogenic disorders need resources + “technical problem” 28:50 What a treatable world could look like for families 31:36 Brain plasticity + what changes might look like over time 32:46 Why foundations matter + speeding recruitment and development 36:20 Mini gene + safer genome editing (base editing) 40:30 Timeline: getting things into clinic (optimism + under 5 years) 41:53 Jaguar license: miniSHANK3 and why SHANK3 is too big 42:25 How they chose what to keep/remove in miniSHANK3 44:48 Why not split into two vectors? the delivery problem 46:33 Base editing limits + prime editing + Prime Medicine 48:54 Who owns IP at MIT/Broad + licensing basics 50:29 Explain it simply: what vectors are + how AAV9/ICV works 53:04 CSF basics + neuron counts + how much coverage is needed 55:26 Distribution challenges + future vectors + re-dosing & antibodies 58:13 Wrap-up + thanks + outro 

How a Parent-Led Movement Grows: Sue Lomas (Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation)

Sue Lomas helped build the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome community in the earliest days—when families were scattered, information was scarce, and finding “your people” took persistence. In this conversation, Sue and I talk about how rare-disease communities form, why early diagnosis and genetics matter, and how parent-led foundations can accelerate research by connecting families, clinicians, and scientists.We also explore the emotional side of the journey: the turning points that reshape what you believe is possible, the role of family support behind the scenes, and what purpose looks like after stepping away from a long mission.If you’re a rare disease parent, advocate, researcher, or someone who cares about the future of gene-based medicine—this one is for you.If this resonates, please like, subscribe, and share it with a family who needs hope today.Chapters 00:00 Cold Open: A moment that captures the mission01:33 Connecting with other foundations (learning by reaching out)03:42 Turning point: realizing more is possible (communication)06:40 The feeling of acceleration in research and progress09:53 The early days: “by luck” and finding the right people11:49 First conferences and building real community13:49 The support system: partnership and what it takes16:19 Early diagnosis & genetics (why it matters)19:09 Growing a foundation while staying cohesive22:03 “Shank3” in a classroom: when awareness spreads25:08 How this journey changes parents over time29:43 Advice for parents: planning, siblings, and support33:17 Retirement, purpose, and what comes next36:50 Final reflections and gratitude

Ep 5. Dr. Katy Phelan: The Origins of Phelan-McDermid Syndrome + Why Hope Is Growing

Welcome to GENEration Hope — I’m Ron Kleiman.Today’s guest is Dr. Katy Phelan, a pioneering human geneticist and one of the founders of the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation (PMSF). This conversation was recorded at the PMSF Annual Conference (2024).Dr. Phelan takes us back to the earliest days of how Phelan-McDermid syndrome was first identified, how families found each other long before social media, and why community became a turning point for so many parents.We also break down diagnostics in plain language — including microarray, sequencing, and why chromosome analysis can still matter — and we talk about what’s giving families real hope as research and treatments move closer.If conversations like this are helpful, please subscribe and turn on notifications so you’re alerted each month when a new interview drops, along with updates from GENEration Hope.Stay Hopeful,Ron⸻Chapters (paste into YouTube)00:01:21 Who is Dr. Katy Phelan (geneticist + PMSF founder)00:01:44 “Girls aren’t built for math” — and proving that wrong00:03:17 Why human genetics (and the Celtics + PMS colors story)00:04:39 The first 22q13 deletion case and the start of collaboration00:06:04 Community and siblings00:07:41 How close are we to treatments? (optimism + perspective)00:09:26 Microarray explained (and what it can’t tell you)00:10:22 Why chromosome analysis still matters (ring chromosomes)00:12:10 Publishing → families calling → learning from parents00:13:05 “They wanted a name like Down syndrome”00:14:26 The first meeting (grant, logistics, and rapid growth)00:18:03 Early whole genome sequencing + diagnostic guidelines00:20:11 US insurance vs Canada timelines/access realities00:21:34 Gene therapy: what families worry about most00:24:38 Misdiagnoses and missed chromosome tests00:29:37 Toronto: why SHANK3 variants may be undercounted00:31:38 Shank3-related vs Shank3-unrelated PMS (inclusion)00:35:41 Deletions vs variants: what it can mean clinically

Inside the Fight to Cure Rett Syndrome – Monica Coenraads Interview

Monica Coenraads, founder and CEO of the Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT), has led the charge to cure Rett Syndrome—raising over $123 million and driving multiple gene therapy programs now in clinical trials.In this in-depth conversation, Monica shares her personal journey from her daughter Chelsea’s diagnosis to building one of the world’s most impactful rare disease research organizations. She explains the evolution of Rett research—from the discovery of MECP2 to today’s cutting-edge genetic medicines including gene therapy, base and prime editing, and RNA trans-splicing.We discuss: • The founding of RSRT and early breakthroughs • The reversibility discovery that changed everything • The Taysha and Neurogene gene therapy trials • The future of Rett research (Roadmap to Cures 2.0) • How parents can catalyze scientific progress • The power of early diagnosis and newborn screeningStay tuned after the interview for updates on the latest Rett, STXBP1, and Phelan-McDermid Syndrome gene therapy trials.👉 Subscribe for more interviews with scientists, researchers, and advocates advancing gene therapy for rare genetic disorders.🌐 Visit GENErationHope.co for global updates and resources.🕒 Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Introduction00:28 – About Monica Coenraads & RSRT01:53 – Chelsea’s Diagnosis and Early Signs05:04 – Discovering MECP2 and Rett Syndrome’s Cause07:22 – Founding the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation08:29 – The Breakthrough Reversibility Experiment11:10 – Turning to Gene Therapy (2008–2010)13:08 – Parental Perspective: Asking Naive but Important Questions15:23 – What is Rett Syndrome? Symptoms and Progression18:13 – Prevalence and Underdiagnosis: Newborn Screening Data22:07 – Diagnostic Delays and Barriers for Families25:58 – Founding RSRT: A Focus on Genetic Medicines27:24 – Major Milestones in 25 Years of Rett Research30:31 – Trials and Setbacks: Novartis, Avexis, and Lessons Learned32:20 – Advice for Newly Diagnosed Families36:22 – How RSRT Raised $100 Million Through Families38:05 – Why Funding Still Matters Most Today39:13 – RSRT’s Team and Family-Driven Urgency44:07 – The Importance of Early Diagnosis47:05 – Debating Newborn Screening Policy48:41 – The Current Gene Therapy Trials (Taysha & Neurogene)53:29 – Roadmap to Cures 2.0: What’s Next for Rett Research57:09 – The Future: Base Editing, Prime Editing, and RNA Approaches1:00:27 – The Challenges of Delivery (AAV9 and Beyond)1:02:05 – Ranking the Modalities & FDA Collaboration1:07:32 – Collaboration Across Rare Disease Communities1:08:47 – Final Thoughts & Message to Families1:09:30 – Closing Monologue: Updates on Rett & STXBP1 Trials