ANNOUNCING THE INAUGURAL
Be Better Award in honor of Victor Pauca
Corey Lab at UT Southwestern
We are so very honored to announce The Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation’s inaugural BE BETTER award in honor of Victor Pauca.
Victor Pauca was the son of Paul Pauca and our foundation’s VP, Theresa Pauca. He was one of the first children in the world diagnosed with Pitt Hopkins and tragically, he passed away in December at the age of 19, after a long and debilitating battle with respiratory illness complicated by Pitt Hopkins Syndrome.
Through it all, his family lived by the motto – “Be Better, not Bitter.” They exemplify this motto in a way that most people never could. In fact, Theresa remains on our board, continuing to fight for Victor’s legacy.
We are honored to grant this award to the Corey Lab at UT Southwestern, led by renowned RNA scientist Dr. David Corey, to explore a novel RNA-based therapy aimed at increasing TCF4 protein expression in Pitt Hopkins syndrome (PTHS).
Small RNA Activation Therapy for Pitt Hopkins
The root cause of Pitt Hopkins syndrome is insufficient production of a critical protein called TCF4. Correcting this deficit at the genetic level remains one of the most promising paths toward a meaningful treatment.
Dr. Corey’s lab is pioneering the use of small activating RNAs (saRNAs)—short RNA molecules designed to precisely target and “turn on” genes that aren’t making enough protein. In this case, the therapy will focus on increasing expression of TCF4 by binding to regulatory regions of the gene, effectively boosting its activity.
The Corey Lab has spent years refining this approach and will now test its potential in Pitt Hopkins. Their immediate goal is to determine whether sbRNA can reliably elevate TCF4 protein levels—a critical proof-of-concept milestone expected within six months.
This work is part of the Foundation’s larger strategy to invest in multiple, complementary approaches to increase TCF4 and drive progress toward a cure.
We are honored to support this cutting-edge work and grateful to Dr. Corey and his team for their dedication to our children.
Read more about the Corey Lab’s work at coreyutswlab.com
In our talks with David Corey and his collaborator Bethany Jankowski, it’s clear they are most concerned with discovering a viable treatment for our children as soon as possible. And to us, that is the epitome of Being Better. Thank you Victor, for giving us the inspiration and fuel to continue fighting.
