Investing in hope
Tyler’s Hope donates $1 million to UF for dystonia research
By John Pastor
Tyler Staab (center) and his sister, Samantha, smile while meeting members of the UF research and medical team that will lead an effort to cure dystonia./Photo by Jesse S. Jones
With the help of $1 million from Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure Inc., a new research center is being established and a leading scientist has joined UF to confront a disease that has disabled a half million Americans.
Yuqing Li, Ph.D., whose research has already played a part in current clinical testing to repurpose a commonly prescribed antibiotic to treat dystonia, is now a professor in the department of neurology at the UF College of Medicine.
Along with clinical researchers at the existing Tyler’s Hope Center for Dystonia Care at UF’s Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Li will investigate causes and potential treatments for a malady that is not well-known, even though it is the third most common movement disorder behind Parkinson’s disease and tremor.
“UF already has the best neurosurgeons and neurologists in the world working on this problem. The role of Tyler’s Hope is to bring a dream team together to cure a disease that has affected not only my children, but thousands of other kids,” said Richard A. Staab, president of Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure. “We want to provide support so the best and brightest researchers work side by side, focused on a single goal, without being distracted by administrative or nonproductive responsibilities.”
Rick Staab, president of Tyler's Hope/Photo by Jesse S. Jones
Tyler’s Hope is named for Staab’s son, who unexpectedly began having movement problems when he was 7. Tyler was diagnosed with DYT1 dystonia, named for the first gene mutation that scientists linked to the disorder. Later, Tyler’s sister, Samantha, was also diagnosed with DYT1 dystonia — the type Li primarily studies.
The gift will establish a Tyler’s Hope Dystonia Research Laboratory to work in conjunction with the Tyler’s Hope Center for Dystonia Care.
Dystonia causes prolonged, involuntary muscle contractions. In some instances, muscles that normally tighten and relax in harmony work against each other, causing the body to twist into abnormal, often painful postures. The contractions may strike a single muscle or a group of muscles, such as those in the arms or legs.
No part of the body is off limits — even the neck, eyelids, face and vocal cords are susceptible. Scientists suspect neurotransmitters responsible for brain-muscle communication are being scrambled. But beyond that, little is known.
“We are trying to see inside of a black box,” Li said. “On one side of this box, there is an altered gene. On the other side, there is a movement problem. How one problem leads to the other is unknown. If we can open up that black box and see how it all connects, we can interrupt the process that is causing all the harm to the patient.”
Li uses mice that have been engineered to have a genetic mutation similar to the one that causes dystonia in people. The models give scientists insight into genetic cause and effect, and also allow scientists to test drugs that might provide relief to children and adults with dystonia.
“In so many cases at this center, it’s been real people like the Staabs who have taken the initiative to move things forward,” said Michael Okun, M.D., a co-director of the center and the national medical director of the National Parkinson Foundation. “This is an organization that has done so much for UF and the community.”