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Bardet-Biedl CLINICAL REGISTRY Clinical REGISTRY INVESTIGATING CRIBBS (For english speakers) ​ Because BBS is relatively rare and individuals with the disease are spread out across the world, no single medical center has the expertise to fully address the needs of individuals with BBS or to develop much needed new treatments. CRIBBS serves as a valuable tool to learn more about BBS and its impact on the health of a person. Information gathered in CRIBBS will be used to help families better understand the condition, to help healthcare providers provide timely preventative and comprehensive care, and to foster scientific efforts in understanding this complex disorder. ​ ​ ​ ​ Frequently Asked Questions : Why is a BBS registry important ? Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) is thought to affect approximately 2,500 people in the United States. Because BBS is relatively rare and individuals with the disease are spread out across the world, no single medical center has the expertise to fully address the needs of individuals with BBS or to develop much needed new treatments. CRIBBS serves as a valuable tool to learn more about BBS and its impact on the health of a person. Information gathered in CRIBBS will be used to help families better understand the condition, to help healthcare providers provide timely preventative and comprehensive care, and to foster scientific efforts in understanding this complex disorder. ​ How do I register for CRIBBS ? Clicking on this registration link will bring you to the registration page. You will be asked several simple questions so that we can contact you. We will not request confidential information such as social security numbers or driver’s license numbers. ​ What information will I have to provide to participate in CRIBBS ? Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) affects each person differently. To better understand how BBS affects you specifically, a member of our team will conduct a telephone interview that takes 90 to 120 minutes. In addition, we will ask you to complete two written assessment forms at your leisure. We will also ask you to sign medical release forms that allow us to obtain medical records from your healthcare providers. We will not ask for confidential information such as social security numbers or driver’s license numbers. ​ Who can see my information ? Your privacy is important to us. Your health information will be assigned a study number that will replace any information that may identify you. Medical records will be stored in a secured location and only individuals directly involved in CRIBBS will have access your information. Your information will not be shared with private organizations, such as insurance companies. Information will be compiled using the study identification numbers and shared with researchers and scientists trying to better understand BBS. ​ How often will the CRIBBS research staff contact me ? One important purpose of the registry is to monitor the ongoing health of individuals with BBS over time. As such, we will contact you annually to get an update on your health. In addition, you will be asked to repeat the two written assessments completed upon CRIBBS enrollment and we will contact your healthcare providers to obtain updated health records. If at any time, you wish to withdraw participation from CRIBBS, you are free to do so and you will no longer be contacted by CRIBBS staff. ​ Will I be contacted about participating in research studies ? Yes, we will alert you if researchers are seeking volunteers for research studies. We will not give your name or contact information to the researcher, but we will provide you the contact information for the researcher and provide you a brief summary of the study. ​ How does participation in CRIBBS help me or my child ? Participation in CRIBBS will help us learn more about the many ways BBS impacts the life and health of individuals. We will share this information through publications for the public and in professional journals. We believe that such knowledge will spark the interest of scientists, private industry, and government agencies to foster high quality care and the development of new and effective treatment strategies for individuals with BBS. ​ Comment référer mon enfant/moi-même à la clinique BBS ? En cliquant sur ce lien , vous accéderez au questionnaire de référencement. Veuillez télécopier le 715-387-5244, envoyer un courriel ( suda.sonia@marshfieldclinic.org ) ou envoyer le formulaire dûment rempli à : Sonia Suda 1000 N Oak Ave - GR3 Marshfield, WI 54449 ​ ​ ​ ​ PARTICIPATE IN THE COHORT PARTICIPATE IN THE COHORT COBBALT COhorte Bardet-Biedl et Alström Translationnelle (In France) ​ The principle is to collect clinical data from as many patients as possible in order to better understand the natural history of the disease in its most classic manifestations (vision, weight, renal function) but also to be able to identify rarer or even unknown manifestations. A quality of life study is also being carried out as well as the collection of biological samples for research purposes. ​ The promotion of the study is under the responsibility of the University Hospital of Strasbourg and the principal investigator is Pr Hélène Dollfus. The collection of consent for the study (signature for participation) must be done on site (for the moment, a compulsory visit to Strasbourg), but afterwards the data over 5 years can be collected remotely. This study is very important because it will allow to identify the criteria on which future clinical trials can be based and also to identify more precisely the known or still poorly known characteristics of the disease and also the needs of the patients. The team of the University Hospital of Strasbourg is counting on the participation of all and awaits your call at 06 35 34 09 00 or 03 69 55 19 62 or your message at cobbalt@chru-strasbourg.fr or nathalie.goetz@chru-strasbourg.fr in order to inform you at best. Reference Centre for Rare Diseases in Ophthalmological Genetics CARGO - IGMA1, Place de l'Hôpital 67091 STRASBOURG Cedex. ​ FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT US

The DISEASE SWEDISH POLISH PORTUGUESE SPANISH RUSSIAN GERMANY Bardet-Biedl Syndrome is a genetic disease caused by a change (mutation) in a gene. To date, there are at least twenty-four different genes that may be responsible for this disease. These are genes BBS1 to BBS24. Bardet-Biedl most often combines obesity, vision problems, finger abnormalities, and in some cases kidney and genital abnormalities. Learning difficulties are often present. Other malformations (of the heart, for example) may be associated, but more rarely. Bardet-Biedl Syndrome affects both boys and girls and usually begins at birth and is not contagious. The manifestations and severity of the syndrome vary considerably from person to person. Bardet-Biedl syndrome is a rare disease whose prevalence (number of people affected in a population at a given time) is between 1 in 100,000 and 1 in 160,000 for the populations of Europe and North America. This syndrome is much more common in certain isolated populations such as the Bedouin populations of Kuwait where the prevalence is estimated at 1 in 13,500. TRANSMISSION In most cases of BBS, both parents carry a normal gene and a defective recessive gene. Although the parents have a copy of the defective gene and are called carriers of the disease, they are not affected by the presence of the defective gene. For a recessive disease to occur, the child must inherit two defective copies of the gene, one from each parent. The child from each pregnancy has a one in four chance of being affected. If a newborn child is not affected, there is a 2 in 3 chance that it will carry the defective BBS gene. Because the syndrome is rare, it is unlikely that a carrier will have affected children unless their partner is also a carrier. GENETIC To date (2022), mutations in 24 BBS genes have been identified in 85% of BBS patients. There are still more genes to be found, as 15% of patients do not have a mutation in one of the identified BBS genes. ​ Some genes are more common than others: 38% of patients have mutations in the BBS1 gene and in the BBS10 gene. However, patients with mutations in the same BBS gene can have very different symptoms of the syndrome: one person may be born with extra fingers, while another person with the same mutation may not have extra fingers at all. The genes involved in this syndrome 'control' the production of proteins that play a role in the cilia of cells. Cells have cilia that function like antennae, capturing and transmitting information about the state of their environment. When these cilia are defective (which is the case when genes are mutated), certain functions are also altered. ​ In particular, cilia play an important role in vision and kidney function, which explains the visual deficit and possible kidney abnormalities in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Much research is underway to understand the role of the cilia in all manifestations of the disease. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS The clinical manifestations of Bardet-Biedl syndrome are multiple and vary considerably from person to person. Therefore, not all patients have all of the symptoms described below. Visual disturbance Learn more Overweight Learn more Abnormalities of toes and fingers Learn more Abnormalities of the genital organs Learn more Kidney and urinary tract deformities Learn more Intellectual deficiency and psychological disorders Learn more Other manifestations Learn more HOW CAN THE SYMPTOMS BE EXPLAINED The genes involved in this syndrome "control" the production of proteins that play a role in the cells' eyelashes. The cells have lashes that function like antennae, capturing and transmitting information about the state of their environment. When these cilia are defective (which is the case when genes are mutated), certain functions are also altered. In particular, cilia play an important role in vision and kidney function, which explains the visual deficit and possible kidney abnormalities in Bardet-Biedl syndrome. A great deal of research is underway to understand the role of the cilia in all manifestations of the disease. ​ If left untreated, the various manifestations can worsen, in particular kidney damage and obesity. Obesity, which is resistant to the usual diet and measures, can be complicated by diabetes and excess lipids in the blood (hyperlipidemia), heart and joint problems. In addition, retinal abnormality leads to a severe reduction in vision, and even blindness between the ages of 15 and 30. Indeed, the field of vision gradually reduces and central vision can sometimes end up being reduced. Early treatment can limit the worsening of symptoms. WHAT IS ITS EVOLUTION ?

Establishment of an expert panel for BBS led by 3 doctors (Helen May-Simera, Carsten Bergmann, Metin Cetiner) : An expert committee is being set up from various doctors and representatives of the patient group in order to coordinate current research aspects for BBS in Germany. In addition to 2 representatives of the patient group, a nephrologist, a human geneticist, an ophthalmologist and a microbiologist are represented in this committee. ​ Research for the immune system with BBS led by doctor Wartsen : At the end of 2021, a new research project was launched at the University Hospital in Bonn to investigate the thesis that BBS sufferers have a stronger immune system than non-affected people and as a result are less susceptible to everyday illnesses such as flu. In May 2022, this research project will be presented to the BBS Germany patient group at a Zoom meeting. ​ Neocyst Project : NEOCYST is a research project on cystic kidney disease in children. It is implemented by a network of clinicians, geneticists and scientists. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and supported by the Society for Paediatric Nephrology (GPN). ​ The NEOCYST study aims to gain a better understanding of cystic kidney disease and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The knowledge gained should be used to improve : Targeted diagnosis, sound advice and and lead to the development of future therapeutic approaches. Opportunities for participation Patients of all ages who have been diagnosed with BBS can participate. Participation in the project is based on a detailed questionnaire. The questionnaire is to be filled in by the treating physician. Patient data are stored and collected in a pseudonymised form, so that no conclusions can be drawn about the individual person. ​ NEOCYST contact for interested parties Dr. Metin Cetiner, University Hospital Essen Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen Mail: Metin.Cetiner@uk-essen.de

Founding MEMBERS When a rare disease invades your life, whether you yourself have the syndrome or are the parent of a child suffering from it, the world falls apart under your feet. You have to relearn everything, adapt everything, make it work.... Living with a rare disease like Bardet-Biedl Syndrome can sometimes be incredibly overwhelming and isolating, but it is important to remember that whether you are living with the syndrome yourself or caring for someone with it, you are not alone. ​ On this page you can find a list of all the countries where there is a Bardet-Biedl group, or other Bardet-Biedl patient support group. Discover the website, social media page or e-mail address of your national Bardet-Biedl patient support group. FRANCE GO UNITED STATES GO UNITED KINGDOM GO netherland GO italy GO GERMANY GO

Zespół Bardeta-Biedla (BBS) charakteryzuje się połączeniem wady wzroku, otyłości, dodatkowych palców u rąk i/lub nóg, małych narządów płciowych, upośledzonej funkcji nerek i trudności w nauce. Występują również inne objawy. ​ Zespół Bardeta-Biedla należy do grupy zaburzeń zwanych ciliopatiami i jest spowodowany uszkodzeniem rzęsek pierwotnych. Rzęski pierwotne to nieruchome wypustki, rodzaj anteny na powierzchni komórki, która koordynuje wiele funkcji ważnych dla funkcjonowania komórek, takich jak ruch, widzenie, odczuwanie i sygnalizacja komórkowa. Zaburzenia funkcji rzęsek mogą prowadzić do nieprawidłowości w rozwoju płodu i powodować wady rozwojowe wielu różnych narządów. ​ U około 80% osób z zespołem Bardeta-Biedla wykryto mutację powodującą chorobę. Najczęstsze mutacje występują w BBS1 (23%), BBS2 (8%) i BBS10 (20%). ​ Do chwili obecnej (2022 r.) odnotowano mutacje w 24 różnych genach, z których wszystkie są zaangażowane w produkcję lub regulację białek ważnych dla prawidłowego tworzenia i funkcjonowania komórek. Lekarzem referencyjnym w Polsce jest dr Marta Koltlarek. Kontakt

About RESEARCH 3 MAJOR CATEGORIES OF RESEARCH FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH Which has as its main objective the understanding of natural phenomena, the establishment of theories or explanatory models. It is essential to the process of creating new therapies. It can use animal models "in vivo", or be conducted "in vitro" using stem cells. CLINICAL RESEARCH Is based on the results of basic research but is conducted to observe the effect of certain potentially therapeutic molecules on people with BBS. Its aim is to verify the researchers' hypotheses and to show the possible effectiveness of certain treatments, while ensuring the absence of toxicity and serious side effects. The clinical trials, organised in three phases (I, II and III), can lead to the marketing of treatments that improve people's lives. HUMAN AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH Which allows a better understanding of the individual, family and social consequences specifically linked to the rarity of the disease and to increase knowledge on the specific impact of BBS in terms of disability and quality of life.

Support US Make a DONATION By making a donation, you will give us the means to advocate for Bardet-Biedl syndrome patients and promote research. Please note that in many European countries, donations are tax deductible for individuals and private companies. ​ Your generosity will allow us to continue our vital work in making a difference in the lives of people living with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome across the globe. Make a donation, sporadically or periodically, in the amount of your choice : Click here Become A VOLUNTEER You can become a volunteer and/or representative of families in your country. It is also possible to help us with specific tasks, such as translating the website into your native language. Click here Be INVOLVED : You can collaborate with us as a volunteer, supporting us in spreading our message, carrying out our activities or launching a fundraising initiative in your personal networks. Please contact us for ideas and suggestions. ​ Click here

Who WE ARE With an increasing number of people and groups sharing common goals and working on common activities, it became clear that more could be achieved by working together than each group working alone. ​ The Bardet-Biedl Syndrome International Federation was created to serve as the central body for a network of national associations and other BBS patient support groups. Our OBJECTIVES The main objective of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome International is to create a platform for collaboration between national associations, support groups and networks, people with BBS and their families, and researchers and professionals working on Bardet-Biedl Syndrome. In more detail, the objectives of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome International are as follows : To find and build a network of all associations and families of people with BBS so that they perceive the federation as a reference point for creating a strong and united Bardet-Biedl community Promote, support and stimulate the exchange of knowledge and understanding of BBS at the international level between national associations to avoid unnecessary duplication of resources Coordinate international research efforts by bringing together research institutes and relevant professionals, To facilitate and promote communication between patients, health professionals, researchers and other organisations that support people with BBS.

Our TEAM Administrative OFFICE Véronique HELOIR Presidente ​ Véronique is the mother of a little boy of almost 12 years old who has BBS6 and lives in France in the Drôme Provençale. After a career in the press and then in Real Estate, Véronique had to give up her professional activity to stay close to her son with special needs. Appointed President of the Bardet Biedl France Association in 2018, she and her team are working to increase awareness of the syndrome and to raise funds and interact with the various French doctors in charge of research for BBS. Francis LESTEL Vice-President ​ Francis leaves in France, he is an engineer and has participated in several international medical congresses, preparing abstracts for those who were unable to attend. He understands 11 languages and is the father of a 30 years old girl with BBS10. Dawn HATCHER Secretary ​ Vice-president of BBS Italy. Association created in 2009 with 30 registered families.Patricia is a teacher, she is bilingual English/Italian and mother of Christopher, 31 years old, diagnosed with BBS 25 years ago by Phil Beales. Grégory BOUETEL Treasurer ​ Grégory is Treasurer of the association Bardet-Biedl France. He also suffers from the syndrome. ​ Grégory lives in France and has his own company specialising in the field of event organisation (weddings, birthdays, lighting, etc.). The Board OF DIRECTORS Tim OGDEN USA ​ Tim is Managing Director of the Financial Access Initiative. He is also Managing Director of the US Financial Diaries project. Tim is the President of the Bardet Biedl Association USA. He is the father of Nathanael, a 14-year-old carrier of the syndrome. Bendert DE GRAAF NETHERLAND ​ Operations Manager at CCIC EUROPE Food Test BV Kampen (Overijssel), Province of Flevoland, The Netherlands. Bendert is the president of the Bardet-Biedl Stichting Association and father of a little boy with the syndrome. Tonia HYMERS UK ​ Tonia is the Service Manager for BBS UK Clinics Ltd. Tonia has two grown-up children, Daniel and Connor and lives in Harwich in Essex. The family attended their first conference in 1998 following the diagnosis of their son, Daniel, and were so grateful to the young people and adults with the syndrome for enabling them to picture a positive future. Tonia was happily coerced onto the Committee, where she stayed for the next 15 years, taking on the role of Fundraising Co-ordinator and then Newsletter Editor. Tonia assisted with the inception and development of the specialised BBS Clinics and was Children’s Service Manager from 2010 to 2017, when she took on the role of Service Manager. Matthias KIMM GERMANY ​ ​ Kjell ARNE NORWAY ​ ​ The SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS Phil BEALES UK ​ Phil Beales is head of Genetics and Genomic Medicine at ICH, Director of the Centre for Translational Genomics (GOSGENE) and head of the Cilia Disorders Laboratory (CDL). His research interests centre on rare diseases, especially the ciliopathies, a class of disorders caused by defects in the formation or function of the cilium. Hélène DOLLFUS FRANCE ​ Hélèn e Dollfus is University Professor and Hospital Practitioner (PU-PH) in medical genetics and ophthalmology. Head of the Medical Genetics Department at the University Hospitals of Strasbourg (HUS), she coordinates the CARGO (Affections rares en génétique ophtalmologique) reference center, as well as the SENSGENE national rare disease network. Director of the Medical Genetics Laboratory (Inserm/Unistra), she is also the driving force behind the Institut de Génétique Médicale d'Alsace (IGMA). Chairwoman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Retina France patients' association. Hélène Dollfus is also coordinator of ERN-EYE, the European reference network for rare eye diseases. ​

Clinical MANIFESTATIONS visual disturbance Yeux Almost all children with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome suffer from decreased vision, most often starting around the age of 5-6 years. It starts with a decrease and then a gradual loss of vision at night or when the light is a little dim. The child sees very little in the dark, but this may go unnoticed when he is small. ​ The field of vision gradually narrows at the sides, giving the impression of looking through an increasingly narrow tube (so-called "tubular vision"). The quality of vision deteriorates greatly during adolescence. Sometimes, other ocular manifestations may be associated with it: blurred distance vision (myopia) or distorted vision (astigmatism), both of which can be corrected with glasses, opacification of the crystalline lens (cataract) leading to a progressive decrease in vision, the appearance of abnormal jerky eye movements (nystagmus), problems with colour distinction, etc. Eventually, central vision can also be affected, making the patient visually impaired. ​ The visual disturbances characteristic of Bardet-Biedl syndrome are due to an impairment of the retina, called retinopathy pigmentosa. The retina is the surface of the back of the eye that receives images, much like a photographic film, and transmits them to the brain in the form of electrical signals. OVERWEIGHT Poids Despite a normal birth weight, affected children are almost always significantly overweight from the first year of life. This overweight often evolves into severe obesity, especially in the trunk area. Sometimes the height is smaller than average. ABNORMALITIES OF TOES & FINGERS Doigts There are often, but not in all cases, malformations of the toes and fingers that are smaller than normal (brachydactyly). There are often six fingers and/or six toes instead of five, with the supernumerary finger(s) located next to the fifth finger (the little finger). This is called postaxial polydactyly. In addition, some children have two or more fingers joined together, i.e. not well separated, and connected by a membrane (webbed fingers or syndactyly). ABNORMALITIES OF the genital organs Organes génitaux In boys, the genitals, penis and testicles, are often abnormally small (hypogonadism). In girls, malformations of the genital organs are also possible. The vagina may be closed by a partition, which causes the uterus to expand, often detected before birth (hydrometrocolpos). KIDNEY AND URINARY DEFORMITIES Reins Malformations of the kidneys and urinary tract are very common. They can be serious and, in a significant number of cases, lead to malfunction of the kidneys, whose function is to filter the blood and allow waste products to be eliminated through urine. ​ In people with Bardet-Biedl syndrome, the progressive reduction in kidney function, known as chronic kidney failure, may require the use of an artificial kidney and lead to a kidney transplant. One of the consequences of this kidney damage is an increase in blood pressure (hypertension), which occurs in more than half of adults. Even if there are no kidney malformations, problems can occur in regulating the amount of water in the body. This is manifested by an increase in the volume of urine (regardless of the volume of liquid absorbed), with a frequent need to urinate, as well as by intense thirst (this is called diabetes insipidus). intellectual deficiency & PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS Intellect The intellectual deficit is not always present. When it does exist, it is moderate or rarely severe. Most often, it is limited to learning difficulties that can be aggravated by vision problems. Affected children may also have a delay in language acquisition (they speak later than others), as well as phonation disorders (abnormal way of producing sounds). There may also be hearing loss (hearing loss), which is often mild and goes unnoticed. Psychological or behavioural disorders may appear in some people in the course of their lives. These disorders include emotional instability, frequent tantrums, inappropriate or uninhibited behaviour (with no idea of what is or is not done), with more rarely obsessive-compulsive behaviour (i.e. repetitive actions, such as washing hands very frequently). However, these disorders only affect a few patients and it is not always clear whether they are directly linked to the syndrome. OTHER MANIFESTATIONS Autres Diabetes (too high blood sugar levels) can also set in, as in many obese people. It initially manifests itself by intense tiredness, thirst and hunger, but over time it can lead to serious complications such as kidney failure, an increased risk of heart attacks and infections, nerve damage that can cause loss of feeling in the hands and feet, etc. It can be treated with medication. Very rarely, incoordination of movements can occur, manifesting itself as abnormalities in staggering gait or poorly coordinated hand movements. In rare cases there are malformations of the heart, in particular communication between the different chambers (atria or ventricles) or narrowing of the heart valves (valvular stenoses). Long-term (chronic) constipation, when present, may be due to Hirschsprung's disease, which is a lack of contraction of the large intestine (colon) which leads to its dilation.

Contacto A síndrome de Bardet- Biedl, caracteriza-se pela associação de défice visual progressivo, obesidade, polidactilia, problemas renais, hipogenitalismo nos homens e anomalias genito-urinárias na mulher e dificuldades de aprendizagem. Transmite-se de forma autossómica recessiva e foram identificados 24 genes associados a BBS, mas em cerca de 20% a causa ainda é desconhecida. Estima-se uma prevalência de 1/150.000. As manifestações mais frequentes são: Retinite pigmentar de tipo cone e bastonete (>90%). Esta alteração pode não ser identificável até por volta dos 8 anos, quando se inicia diminuição da visão nocturna; aos 20 anos 75% dos doentes perderam completamente a visão. Polidactilia postaxial (dedo supranumerário na metade externa das mãos e /ou pés) ocorre em cerca de 80%. Obesidade (90%) inicia-se na infância e é essencialmente do tronco. Ao nascer o peso é habitualmente normal. Não controlada, podem surgir outros problemas associados: diabetes, hipertensão, hiperlipidemia. Dificuldades de aprendizagem são frequentes (60%), embora na maioria não exista um défice cognitivo significativo. Défice de atenção, processamento lento e traços obsessivos, compulsivos são comuns. Anomalias genitais (60-90%). No sexo masculino manifesta-se por hipogonadismo com pénis e testículos pequenos, criptorquidia, ausência de caracteres sexuais secundários, atraso pubertário, infertilidade. No sexo feminino podem existir malformações genito-urinárias como ausência ou hipoplasia da vagina, útero, trompas, ovários, imperfuração vaginal, fistulas….e também atraso pubertário, amenorreia, diminuição da fertilidade, mas há casos de gravidez Alterações renais (displasia, doença quística…) ocorrem em 50 a 70% dos casos e podem conduzir a falência renal. Foi sugerido como critério de diagnóstico clínico de BBS a presença de 4 das manifestações acima referidas ou 3 delas e mais duas das seguintes: cardiopatia, diabetes, alterações dentárias, hepáticas, intestinais (hirshprung), anosmia (ausência de cheiro),braquidactilia/sindactilia (dedos curtos/unidos), descoordenação motora/ ataxia, atraso global de desenvolvimento, atraso da linguagem

BARDET-BIEDL Syndrome International Connecting people affected by the syndrome of Bardet-Biedl worldwide About BBS FOUNDATION BBS International is a federation that will enable us to collaborate together on a global scale, to unite efforts, to collect and publish information on the disease, to increase network cooperation, to improve research by avoiding unnecessary duplication. ​ Created on 03 October 2020 by 5 countries (France, USA, UK, Italy, Netherlands). Members are active national patient organisations representing patients and their families affected by BBS. Together, they are the voice of approximately 40,000 patients worldwide. « Bardet-Biedl syndrome is a rare disease, but many of you around the world are affected by it or one or more of your children. The announcement of such a diagnosis is hard and one can feel quite alone. Many countries in the world do not have a national association or the information to better understand the disease. This is also why the Federation was created, to break the isolation and answer your questions. You are not alone ! » ​ Join the community and get to know each other ! JOIN Our TEAM Véronique HELOIR Presidente Francis LESTEL Vice-President Patricia Dawn HATCHER Secretary Grégory BOUETEL Treasurer Contact US Send Thank you for your sending ! Bardet-Biedl Syndrome International 3 route des Essarts 26240 SAINT-UZE FRANCE