Cystinosis is a rare, genetic, metabolic, lysosomal storage disease that causes an abnormal accumulation of the amino acid cystine in various organs and tissues of the body such as the kidneys, eyes, muscles, pancreas and brain.
The cystine accumulation causes widespread tissue and organ damage. Cystine accumulation can lead to kidney failure, muscle wasting, swallowing difficulty, diabetes, hypothyroidism, cerebral atrophy, photophobia, blindness, corneal ulceration, ventilatory impairment, and more. Without treatment, children with cystinosis will usually develop end stage kidney failure and die prematurely.
Cystinosis affects an estimated 2,000 people worldwide with just over 600 of those diagnosed living in the U.S. Learn more in our cystinosis brochure.
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