CABRI

10/14/2026

Imagine getting a diagnosis, going home, searching it online, and finding almost nothing.

For a lot of families facing a rare disease or rare cancer, that's exactly how it starts. There are no support groups down the street, no stack of studies to read through, and sometimes only a handful of doctors who have ever seen it.

That's why CABRI exists. We fund research into the conditions that tend to get overlooked, because the families living with them deserve more than a blank search page.

If you want to help change that, you can support CABRI at cabrimed.org/donate

10/10/2026

A rare disease diagnosis can carry so much more than the diagnosis itself. It can come with years of searching for answers. Appointment after appointment. Uncertainty about what comes next. And the exhaustion of explaining a condition to yet another person who has never heard of it. That weight matters, too.

On World Mental Health Day, we're thinking about the patients, parents, and caregivers carrying the emotional toll of rare disease alongside everything else.

At CABRI, it's another reason we push for faster answers. Because shortening the path to understanding a disease isn't only about advancing science. It can mean less time spent living without answers.

To the rare disease community: we see that part of the journey, too.

10/07/2026

Applications for CABRI's 2026 Undergraduate Fellowships close this Saturday, October 10.

If you're an undergraduate doing lab research this fall, this is your last chance to apply for $2,000 to $5,000 in funding to support your work. Faculty and advisors, a quick reminder to your students this week could go a long way.

Apply at

CABRI GRANTS UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW APPLICATION StudentName First Last Email College YearMajorMinorProjected Graduation Date Post Graduation GoalResearch Project AdvisorName First Last PositionDepartmentEmail Upload Research Advisor's CV file*Max. file size: 300 MB. OrganizationInstitution NameAddress...

10/07/2026

For people with GSDIa, even sleeping through the night can be complicated. That may finally be changing.

Glycogen Storage Disease Type Ia is a rare metabolic disease that requires constant blood sugar management, often including cornstarch doses every few hours, even overnight.

Until now, there was no treatment that addressed the underlying cause.

In August, the FDA approved GENGLYCOS, the first gene therapy for GSDIa for patients ages 8 and older.

For the estimated 1,500 to 2,500 people living with GSDIa in the U.S., it’s a major milestone.

It’s also what years of rare disease research can lead to: not just understanding a disease, but changing what everyday life with it can look like.

And it’s a reminder of why CABRI focuses on rare diseases in the first place. Small patient populations can make funding and developing new treatments incredibly difficult, but that doesn’t make the need any smaller.

Read more ➡️ https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-therapy-patients-aged-8-years-and-older-glycogen-storage-disease-type-ia

10/05/2026

Imagine watching your child learn to talk, walk, and use their hands, only to slowly watch some of those skills disappear.

For many families affected by Rett syndrome, that’s part of their story.

Rett syndrome is a rare neurological disorder that primarily affects girls. Children often develop typically at first, but usually between 6 and 18 months, development begins to slow or change. They may lose words or purposeful hand movements and experience challenges with walking, coordination, breathing, sleep, or seizures.

Researchers know that most cases can be traced to changes in a single gene: MECP2.

But knowing what causes a disease and having treatments for it are two very different things.

Rare diseases often face limited commercial investment, making it harder to turn promising science into treatments patients can actually access.

That’s the gap CABRI is working to close.

This October, wear purple, learn more about Rett syndrome, share the stories of those affected, and support rare disease research.

10/03/2026

Have an undergraduate working in your lab this fall?

CABRI's 2026 Undergraduate Fellowships provide $2,000 to $5,000 to support students conducting research with a qualified principal investigator. The award goes to your institution and can be used for student compensation, research reagents, or both, which can make a real difference for a student who is currently volunteering their time in the lab.

Faculty mentors are often the reason a strong student applies at all, so if someone in your lab comes to mind, we'd encourage you to pass this along. Applications close October 10.

Details at cabrimed.org/undergraduate-grant

09/30/2026

The application window for CABRI's 2026 Undergraduate Fellowships has been extended to October 10.

These fellowships provide $2,000 to $5,000 to support undergraduate students who have been offered a research position with a qualified principal investigator. Funding is awarded to the student's institution and can be used for student compensation, research reagents, or both, giving early-career researchers the chance to contribute to meaningful work in rare disease and rare cancer research.

If you're an undergraduate working in a lab this fall, or a faculty member mentoring one, there's still time to apply. We'd also be grateful if you'd share this with students, colleagues, and research offices who may know a great candidate.

Learn more and apply at

CABRI GRANTS UNDERGRADUATE FELLOW APPLICATION StudentName First Last Email College YearMajorMinorProjected Graduation Date Post Graduation GoalResearch Project AdvisorName First Last PositionDepartmentEmail Upload Research Advisor's CV file*Max. file size: 300 MB. OrganizationInstitution NameAddress...

09/30/2026

Rare cancers create a difficult research equation: urgent need, small patient populations, and fewer established treatment pathways.

Today is Rare Cancer Day, an annual observance led by the NORD Rare Cancer Coalition. The day calls attention to the challenges of early diagnosis, research participation, treatment development, and community support.

SNUC is one example. CABRI reports that fewer than 400 patients have ever been diagnosed, making shared samples and collaborative research especially important.

Mark Rare Cancer Day by learning about one rare cancer, sharing a trusted resource, or supporting research created for communities too often left outside the spotlight.

What rare cancer deserves more attention from the research community? Share it in the comments.

09/29/2026

Tomorrow is Rare Cancer Day. Today is an opportunity to act.

People diagnosed with rare cancers may encounter delayed diagnoses, fewer treatment options, limited research data, and difficulty finding others with the same condition.

CABRI was created to help address that research gap, with a particular commitment to SNUC and other diseases that struggle to attract sustained attention.

Make a gift today in honor of a patient, caregiver, researcher, or loved one whose story deserves to keep moving science forward: cabrimed.org/donate/

09/25/2026

Only 19 patients. That's all it took to get a new cancer treatment approved.

NRG1 fusion-positive cholangiocarcinoma is so rare that a trial that small may be the largest one possible. In May 2026, the FDA approved Bizengri for adults with advanced disease, with about 37% of patients seeing a measurable response, held to the same scientific standard as any other approval.

Rare cancer research can't wait for trials that will never happen. It needs studies built around how many patients actually exist, and funding that treats a small patient population as worth a big commitment.

That's the work CABRI supports.

Read the FDA announcement:

FDA issued an approval for Bizengri (zenocutuzumab-zbco), a drug that treats NRG1 fusion-positive cholangiocarcinoma, an ultra-rare, aggressive cancer that forms in the bile ducts.