The mission of the AKU Society of North America is to unite, educate, and raise funds to benefit patients and families affected by alkaptonuria.
World-class scientists join advisory board of AKU Society North America
We’re delighted that Prof Virginia Kraus and Dr Wendy Introne have joined as advisors of the AKU Society North America.
Virginia Byers Kraus is Professor of Medicine at Duke University and a practicing rheumatologist with 20 years experience in osteoarthritis research. She supervises a laboratory devoted to translational research to advance the understanding of the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis and to contribute to therapies for the disease.p She is President Elect and Executive Committee member of Osteoarthritis Research Society International to promote global research toward the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis.
Wendy Introne Is a pediatrician, clinical and biochemical geneticist who performs clinical research on rare genetic conditions at the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, USA. Dr Introne’s interest in Alkaptonuria began in 2000 when she initiated a protocol to elucidate and document the natural history of the condition. Through this protocol she has evaluated approximately 100 patients with Alkaptonuria. This natural history protocol led to a treatment trial investigating the use of Nitisinone in patients with Alkaptonuria.