Elliott Greenberg established the Johnathan and Amy Greenberg Canavan Fund was established in 2022 by in memory of his grandchildren.

The fund supports research to identify effective treatments for Canavan disease.

What is Canavan Disease?

Canavan disease is a progressive neurological genetic disorder caused by the absence of a vital enzymeAccording to Genome.gov, an enzyme is a biological catalyst and is almost always a protein. It speeds up the rate of a specific chemical reaction in the cell. The enzyme is not destroyed during the reaction and is used over and over. More known as aspartoacylase (ASPA). ASPA breaks N-acetylaspartate acid (NAA) into building blocks essential for building myelinIs the white matter coating our nerves, enabling them to conduct impulses between the brain and other parts of the body. It consists of a layer of proteins packed between two layers of lipids. Myelin is produced by specialized cells: oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. Myelin sheaths wrap themselves around axons, the threadlike extensions of neurons that make up nerve fibers. Each oligodendrocyte can myelinate several axons. More. Myelin is a fatty membrane (also known as white matter) that forms a proactive coating around each nerve ensuring the nerve functions properly. Canavan disease is one of more than 50 genetically inherited disorders known as leukodystrophies.