The French national federation of seed maize and seed sorghum production (FNPSMS), which is the inter-branch seed-growers’ organisation comprised of members of AGPM Maïs semence (the specialised AGPM section for seed-growers) and seed companies that are members of Seproma, is providing support for research into nephrotic syndrome, a disease affecting the kidneys and immune system.

An announcement on this was made at the recent maize congress held in France, in the city of Pau on September 16 and 17;  and on October 10, FNPSMS signed a research partnership agreement with AMSN, the nephrotic syndrome patients’ group [Association des Malades du Syndrome Néphrotique] and Dr. Dil Sahali at the INSERM research centre of the Paris teaching hospital, Henri Mondor.  The purpose of the agreement is to support research into the use of biotechnology for medical advances.
 
Orphan disease, but not rare
Nephrotic syndrome appears in children from the age of two on;  some 10 000 patients suffer from it throughout their lives and have to take cortisone drugs and cope with severe side effects.
Nephrotic syndrome is an orphan disease listed by the French administrative authorities as one of thirty long-term conditions, yet it is far from being a rare disease.  Prevalence in France is 18 cases per 100 000 people, which can be compared to figures for other conditions:  5.3 for hereditary Alzheimer’s disease, 7.7 for haemophilia and 12 for cystic fibrosis.  Yet nephrotic syndrome is a little known condition and receives only a small annual budget (some tens of thousands of euros).
 
Hope through biotechnology
While resources have been limited, there have recently been advances in knowledge of the condition with the identification of genes involved.  To pursue this path, Professor Dil Sahali, the research coordinator, and his team need further facilities, including new lines of transgenic mice, so as to gain a greater understanding of gene involvement in the disease, and ultimately offer better treatment.  FNPSMS wished to support this research and has donated 40 000 euros to fund the programme.
 
Bernard Delsuc, President of FNPSMS, explained the ambition to be part of the initiative and the arguments involved: “Biotechnology, whether applied to animals or plants, is clearly a path to progress.  We are pleased to be making a contribution so that biotechnology is available to medical science;  we would also like to have greater access to biotechnology for farming.”

Contacts :

F.N.P.S.M.S.
Anne Kettaneh :
anne.kettaneh@agpm.com
Tél. 01 47 23 48 32
Portable : 06 83 22 05 01
  
A.M.S.N. 
Vincent Palmier,
Resp. Programme Ambition Recherche
ambition-recherche.amsn@orange.fr http://asso.orpha.net/AMSN/