Hypoparathyroidism — Orphan Disease Center

Hypoparathyroidism Grant Program

Hypoparathyroidism is a disease of the endocrine system where a patient’s parathyroid glands fail to produce sufficient amounts of parathyroid hormone. Parathyroid hormone regulates calcium homeostasis within the body, and reduced parathyroid hormone release leads to abnormally low calcium levels. This disease is usually caused by a rare complication of thyroid surgery affecting approximately 80,000 persons in the US per year, with standard of care aimed to maintain homeostatic calcium levels by repeat testing and calcium supplementation.

In-home Calcium Diagnostic Device for Hypoparathyroidism Grant Program

The Orphan Disease Center, in collaboration with the Hypopara Research Foundation sought applications for the creation of a medical diagnostic device that would allow the in-home measurement of calcium in the blood. The goal is to create a device for hypoparathyroidism patients and others with hypocalcemia, which would improve disease management and quality of life by allowing self-administered care at home. They imagine this device revolutionizing disease management for these patients similarly as the glucose monitor has done for diabetic patients. Care providers in theory could provide guidelines for medication adjustment based on results from the device.

Hypoparathyroidism Stem Cell Consortium Pilot Grant Program

The Orphan Disease Center, in collaboration with the Hypopara Research Foundation, sought grant applications from multidisciplinary teams of scientists that aim to develop a potential long-term therapy for hypoparathyroidism, by using advances in stem cell research to regenerate and transplant parathyroid glands.