TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Florida is pushing forward in rare disease research.
A new state law will allow testing for newborns who may have a rare disease before they show any symptoms.
The Sunshine Genetics program will track their entire genome sequencing.
It is the first of its kind in the country.
The FSU School of Medicine is leading the charge on this initiative. They held an event to celebrate this achievement and to share more of their research.
According to their website they are studying more than 7,000 rare diseases that effect 1 in 10 children across the state.
The school’s Florida Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases is a part of a larger consortium of universities and institutions that are making breakthroughs in this field.
Rep. Adam Anderson was the initial legislative sponsor of this program and remains an avid supporter.
His son Andrew died of a rare genetic condition known as Tay – Sachs disease.
“More people in the United States are effected by a rare disease than the population of Florida. So when we look at them collectively they’re far too common,” he said.
February 28 is the third annual Rare Disease Day in Florida.
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