The Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is planning a virtual conference on prenatal and postnatal treatment for alpha thalassemia major (ATM):

Advances in Alpha Thalassemia Major: No Longer a Fatal Disease

January 8, 2021 (16:00 PST) / January 9, 2021 (15:00 PST)

Check dates/times where you live *

Registration & Schedule at https://mfprecision.ucsf.edu/2020/11/01/virtual-conference-on-alpha-thalassemia-major/

This is a two-part, international, online event for healthcare providers, patients, and families affected by ATM.  Conference registration is free, and continuing education credit is available through UCSF (CME units) and NSGC (Category 1 CEU). ++

This conference would be of interest to specialist in obstetrics/gynecology, maternal fetal medicine, clinical genetics and genetic counseling, pediatric hematology, pediatric and fetal surgery, as well as basic and translational scientists in the areas of maternal-fetal biology, stem cell biology, hemoglobinopathies, and fetal therapies.

Overview

Alpha Thalassemia Major (ATM) was once considered universally fatal in utero.  However, recent evidence from patient registries has demonstrated that when ATM is diagnosed early in pregnancy, in utero transfusions (IUT) can reverse hydrops and enable survival with good neurological outcomes.  Despite this evidence, IUTs have not been widely adopted to treat pregnancies affected by ATM, although they are commonly administered to treat other fetal conditions.

Conference goals:

• Demonstrate the impact of prenatal therapy on long-term outcomes for ATM
• Understand best practices for prenatal and postnatal treatment of ATM
• Bring together families affected by ATM to share their diagnosis and treatment journeys
• Build international connections among scientists, medical professionals, and patient advocates to advance treatments for ATM worldwide

Prenatal topics:

Prenatal screening algorithm, natural history, ultrasound diagnosis, genetic diagnosis, management of pregnancies affected by ATM, protocols for IUT, and phase 1 clinical trial of in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at UCSF.

Postnatal topics:

Protocols for chronic transfusions, bone marrow transplantation, and complications of ATM management.