Muscular Dystrophy News and Research

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The muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of more than 30 genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. Some forms of MD are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later. The disorders differ in terms of the distribution and extent of muscle weakness (some forms of MD also affect cardiac muscle), age of onset, rate of progression, and pattern of inheritance.

Insight into neurodegenerative diseases

For years, researchers in genome stability have observed that several neurodegenerative diseases-including Huntington's disease-are associated with cell-killing proteins that are created during expansion of a CAG/CTG trinucleotide repeat.

12 Apr 2011

Scientists effectively combine two methods used as vehicles to carry DNA into cell nuclei

Scientists at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly) and at the NYU College of Dentistry have discovered a biochemical version of a principle well known among confectioners. Call it the "peanut butter and chocolate" rule: Sometimes two things work better together than alone.

5 Apr 2011

Cedars-Sinai receives $750,000 grant from Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy for sildenafil/taladafil study

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) – the largest, most comprehensive non-profit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) – announced today that they will award Ronald G. Victor, M.D. of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a $750,000 grant to fund his study of phosphodiesterase inhibitors (sildenafil and taladafil) as a possible therapy for Duchenne.

5 Apr 2011

Cellectis 2010 total operating revenues increase 55% to EUR 15.8M

Cellectis, the genome engineering specialist, has announced its consolidated financial results for the financial year ended December 31, 2010.

31 Mar 2011

Drug delivery breakthrough for Alzheimer’s disease

Till date all attempts to get drugs into the brain were countered by the blood-brain barrier - the natural defense against potentially harmful chemicals floating around the body. However this new finding from a team from University of Oxford shows that now scientists have successfully switched off a gene implicated in Alzheimer’s disease in the brains of mice by exploiting tiny particles naturally released by cells, called exosomes.

21 Mar 2011

New insight into Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Armed with a zebrafish model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a library of 1,200 chemicals already approved for human use, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have identified a compound that reverses the loss of muscle structure and function associated with DMD, seemingly by compensating for the loss of a critical protein.

19 Mar 2011

Beike, ThermoGenesis enter agreement to employ new technology for stem cell therapies

Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd., China's leading stem cell research and regenerative medicine company, announced an agreement with USA-based ThermoGenesis Corp. to employ new, cutting edge stem cell processing and storage technology across its adult stem cell collection, processing, and archive platform.

17 Mar 2011

Duchenne Parent Project awards grant to AMT for DMD gene therapy

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today that the Duchenne Parent Project, based in the Netherlands, has awarded AMT a grant of EUR 145,000 to support the development of AMT-080, AMT's gene therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

7 Mar 2011

Genetic switch increases blood vessels in skeletal muscle of non-exercising mice

Many people suffer from a devastating condition known as critical limb ischemia (CLI) that can lead to muscle wasting and even amputation. The disease is linked to the blockage of blood flow to the skeletal muscle and current treatment options include rehabilitative exercise and surgical bypass of blood vessels. New preclinical research suggests there may be a way to restore blood supply in skeletal muscle without traditional intervention.

2 Mar 2011

San Diego Hospice is California's first provider of unique children care program

The Comprehensive Care Management Programs at San Diego Hospice celebrates one year as California's first provider of Partners for Children. This unique state-funded program allows chronically ill children on Medi-Cal and CCS to receive pain and symptom management services, or palliative care, at home.

1 Mar 2011

Muscle, aptly enough, is born of cellular bullying, and not mutual consent

In fact, according to new research from Johns Hopkins, the fusion of muscle cells is a power struggle that involves a smaller mobile antagonist that points at, pokes and finally pushes into its larger, stationary partner using a newly identified finger-like projection.

17 Feb 2011

AMT 2010 total net income increases to EUR 1.4 million

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, today reported its results for the year to December 31, 2010.

16 Feb 2011

BioTime to merge Glycosan with OrthoCyte

BioTime, Inc., a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to merge Utah-based Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. (Glycosan) with BioTime's wholly-owned subsidiary, OrthoCyte Corporation. The acquisition is expected to close by March 18, 2011.

14 Feb 2011

MDA grants $13.5 million to support new research treatments for neuromuscular diseases

The Muscular Dystrophy Association today awarded 44 grants totaling $13.5 million to support new research to advance understanding of disease processes and to uncover new strategies for treating muscular dystrophies, ALS and other related neuromuscular diseases affecting more than a million Americans.

9 Feb 2011

Muscular Dystrophy Association awards 44 research grants totaling $13.5 million

8 Feb 2011

CMD co-founder receives Prize4Life award for discovery of new ALS biomarker

Convergence Medical Devices (CMD) today announced that its co-founder, Dr. Seward Rutkove, Chief of the Division of Neuromuscular Disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, received Prize4Life's prestigious award for the discovery of a new biomarker for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

7 Feb 2011

MetaMorphix announces sale under Chapter 11

MetaMorphix, Inc., an animal biotechnology company, announced its intention to sell all, or substantially all, of its assets as part of its reorganization under a sale in Chapter 11 pursuant to section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code. The Company also announced that American MedTech Advisors has been retained to assist in the sale of the Company.

5 Feb 2011

Lack of DOT1L enzyme could lead to some types of heart disease: Study

Everyone knows chocolate is critical to a happy Valentine's Day. Now scientists are one step closer to knowing what makes a heart happy the rest of the year.

5 Feb 2011

EU grants 3.3 million to AMP for gene therapy development against AIP

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today that the European Union has finalized a EUR 3.3 million grant to the AIPGENE consortium, of which AMT is a member, for the development of a gene therapy product for Acute Intermittent Porphyria.

31 Jan 2011

Research shows nestin regulates formation of neuromuscular junction

In a study published in the Jan. 30, 2011, advance online edition of Nature Neuroscience, Salk Institute of Biological Studies investigators led by Kuo-Fen Lee, PhD., show that nestin has reason for being in a completely different cell type--muscle tissue.

30 Jan 2011