A Monthly E-Newsletter
April 2021
Dear TESS Supporters,

April was another exciting month at TESS Research Foundation! We hired a full-time Research Program Manager, Dr. Tanya Brown, who I am excited for all of you to meet.

Our industry partner, Taysha Gene Therapies, released encouraging new data on a gene therapy treatment for SLC13A5 Epilepsy.

And we continue to support our TESS families with educational sessions, research opportunities, and virtual happy hours.

Looking ahead, on May 13th we are having our first-ever SLC13A5 Epilepsy Awareness Day! We need your help raising awareness. We hope this will become an inspiring annual event.

With love and gratitude,

Kim Lodato Nye
Founder, TESS Research Foundation
1
SLC13A5 Awareness Day is May 13th!
5 ways you can help us raise awareness on May 13th and all year round
  1. Add the TESS Research Facebook Frame to your profile today! 
  2. Hold up this TESS flyer, put on your TESS bracelets, or put on something purple and post a photo of your TESS loved one with family and friends. 
  3. Give a TESS bracelet to your therapists, doctors, teachers, friends and family, as a way to thank them for caring for a SLC13A5 Epilepsy Loved One. 
  4. Launch a Facebook fundraiser or another event to raise funds for SLC13A5 Epilepsy Research. 
  5. Buy some new TESS merchandise in our pop up shop.
2
Meet Our New TESS Team Member
Tanya Brown, PhD, joins TESS Research Foundation as our new Research Program Manager! Tanya's role at TESS is to make SLC13A5 science accessible to patients and their families. She will also help build our research network and help academic researchers and industry partners work together to drive the science forward to find a cure for SLC13A5 Epilepsy. Read Tanya's full bio here.
3
COVID Vaccines and Gene Therapy
If I have SLC13A5 Epilepsy, will an adenovirus-based vaccine affect my eligibility to receive gene therapy in the future?  "The RNA-based Moderna and Pfizer vaccines should not pose any risk to future gene therapy approaches." What about the adenovirus-based COVID vaccines like Johnson & Johnson and Astra-Zeneca? For answers to this question and more, read our full statement here.
4
New Data: SLC13A5 Gene Therapy (TSHA-105)
Big News: Taysha Gene Therapies advances TSHA-105 into IND/CTA-enabling studies. "TSHA-105 significantly reduced plasma citrate levels, normalized EEG brain activity, and reduced the number of seizures and seizure susceptibility in SLC13A5 knockout mice." Read the full press release here.
5
Meet our TESS Superhero of the Month: Sanju
TESS Superhero Sanju was our April Superhero of the Month! Like most teenagers, Sanju loves parties and fast food. To learn more about Sanju or make a donation in her honor, visit her Superhero page on our website.
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