News
Muenzer MPS Center Team Wears Purple to Support MPS Awareness Day
Chapel Hill, NC – May 15, 2025 — The team at the Muenzer MPS Research & Treatment Center joined the global rare disease community in recognizing MPS Awareness Day by proudly wearing purple—a color symbolizing strength, resilience, and unity across the MPS community.
Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of seven rare, genetic lysosomal storage disorders that impact both children and adults. While individually rare, collectively they affect thousands of individuals worldwide. MPS Awareness Day is observed each year on May 15 to increase public understanding of these complex conditions and to support efforts for earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, and comprehensive care.
By participating in MPS Awareness Day, the Muenzer MPS Center continues its mission to advocate for individuals and families living with MPS. In addition to providing expert, multidisciplinary care, the Center leads groundbreaking research efforts, including clinical trials and natural history studies, aimed at improving outcomes for those affected.
On March 29, 2025, team members from the Muenzer MPS Research & Treatment Center took part in the Raleigh Run for Rare, a 5K run and 1-mile walk hosted by the National MPS Society at Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville, NC.
The event brought together families, advocates, and supporters to raise awareness and funds for mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) and mucolipidosis (ML), two rare genetic conditions.
The Muenzer Center was proud to sponsor this year’s 5K and support the Society’s mission to advance research and provide vital resources for the MPS and ML community. After the race, participants enjoyed a family picnic, continuing the spirit of connection and community.
UNC Children’s Opens Muenzer MPS Center in Chapel Hill
UNC Children’s has opened the Muenzer MPS Research and Treatment Center dedicated to improving the lives of patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), a group of rare inherited conditions, and advancing research with the goal of creating better therapies.
$10 Million Gift to Establish Center to Research MPS Genetic Disorders
The School of Medicine’s pediatrics department will use a $10 million gift to establish a center to identify new ways to treat mucopolysaccharidoses, or MPS, a group of rare genetic disorders.
The gift, from Vaughn and Nancy Bryson, who in 1960 both graduated from UNC’s School of Pharmacy, will create the Dr. Joseph Muenzer MPS Research & Treatment Center, which will identify strategies for comprehensive care for people suffering from MPS. The Brysons made a $2.5 million commitment to the University in 2021 and later increased it to $10 million.
The MPS Research & Treatment Center will honor Muenzer, one of the world’s foremost experts in congenital metabolic disorders and the Bryson Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics. Muenzer’s research includes progressive brain disease in children with MPS II, also known as Hunter Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects mental development and numerous organs and can lead to death.
