Ataxia-Telangiectasia patients get a rare chance to meet the experts at a dedicated workshop in IFOM (the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology).

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a genetic syndrome characterized by cerebellar degeneration, telangiectasia, immunodeficiency and cancer predisposition. A-T occurs in between 1 in 40,000 and 1 in 100,000 live births. The first symptoms normally occur in early childhood when the infant begins to walk. Affected children have immunodeficiency and an increased predisposition for cancers. A-T is caused by mutations in the ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia, Mutated) gene which encodes a protein of the same name.