Appeals swamp NIH’s Undiagnosed Diseases project

The newly unveiled Undiagnosed Diseases Program at the NIH is billed as a new research program that will advance genetics work as it helps provide help to people with mystery ailments--and it's already been overwhelmed by the response. In a feature in Newsweek, the project leader notes that the program--a multidisciplinary approach to solving complex medical riddles--has only three full-time workers and has already received more than 200 urgent appeals for help.   

"This is a research program," said Dr. William Gahl, the clinical director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. "We won't be able to help everyone who seeks our care."

Gahl suggested that the NIH may want to commit more money to the program, but with funding capped for years, no one expects a big budget increase anytime soon.

- read the article from Newsweek

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