The CMT Research Foundation (CMTRF) is excited to announce the launch of the Neuropathy Open Data Exchange (NODE), a new online tool built to help researchers share, compare, and make sense of data on peripheral nerve disease. 

For years, valuable research data on CMT and related nerve conditions has been scattered across different labs, papers, and databases. Two scientists working on very similar questions might never know the other’s data exists. NODE is CMTRF’s answer to that problem. It’s a single, permanent home where researchers can upload their findings, see what others have already discovered, and build on each other’s work. 

We are hosting a webinar to introduce people to the platform on October 29, 2026, at 7 PM Eastern. Supporters will have the chance to learn why this tool is so valuable for researchers; scientists will get to see the tool in action and understand its capabilities. Register now.

Why This Matters 

CMT is a group of inherited neuropathies caused by genetic changes that damage the nerves controlling movement and sensation. This platform allows researchers to combine data from CMT and other diseases, ranging from ALS to diabetic neuropathy, meaning research for every single peripheral nerve disorder gets easier and moves faster. 

Every dataset hosted on the platform will be reviewed and confirmed to be scientifically useful, so researchers can spend their time analyzing data instead of second-guessing whether it’s worth using.  

“When a scientist comes up with an idea, they naturally want to check it against what they already know. This data repository makes it easy. Compare research results from all over the globe, understand what questions are outstanding and which ones have already been answered,” said Dr. Meghan Drummond, Chief Scientific Officer at the CMT Research Foundations.

“Every project doesn’t need to start from scratch. Now, they can start from NODE.” 

CMTRF is also actively funding the creation of new datasets to fill in the missing pieces, with a particular focus on data that links pre-clinical biology to human disease. 

What’s Actually on NODE 

NODE will bring together several kinds of data related to nerve biology, including: 

• Data from human nerve tissue, such as small nerve biopsies and skin samples 

• Data from pre-clinical models used to study CMT and similar conditions 

• Data from lab-grown human cells (derived from stem cells) that help bridge pre-clinical and human research 

• Broader genetic and molecular datasets that describe how genes are turned on and off in nerve tissue 

This information comes from published studies, national research networks, NIH-funded projects, and research CMTRF has directly funded. 

Although NODE was built with CMT in mind, it isn’t limited to it.  

Any researcher working on peripheral nerve disease, regardless of the specific condition they study, is welcome to use it and contribute to it. 

For Researchers: Funding Is Available to Help Build NODE’s Dataset Library 

CMT Research Foundation is making a substantial, multi-year investment in building this data exchange, as it will speed research across the CMT universe, getting to treatments and cures faster.     

Through the Peripheral Nerve Multi-Omics Request for Proposals, CMTRF is offering up to $75,000 for one-year awards to researchers generating high-value bioinformatics datasets on gene expression in the peripheral nervous system, in both pre-clinical models and humans. 

Learn More or reach out to [email protected] with questions. 

NODE is live now. Visit the platform to explore existing datasets, or get in touch to learn how to contribute.