Muscle Wasting News and Research

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Insight into understanding of normal muscle growth

Revealing another part of the story of muscle development, Johns Hopkins researchers have shown how the cytoskeleton from one muscle cell builds finger-like projections that invade into another muscle cell's territory, eventually forcing the cells to combine.

4 Jun 2011

Microscopic worms in space

A space flight by millions of microscopic worms could help us overcome the numerous threats posed to human health by space travel. The Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) have also given experts an insight into how to block muscle degradation in the sick and elderly.

2 Jun 2011

GTx reports net loss of $2.6 million for first quarter 2011

GTx, Inc. today provided a company update and reported financial results for the first quarter of 2011.

9 May 2011

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

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

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

Study hopes to establish health benefits from cocoa and vitamin C

A study which hopes to establish the health benefits from cocoa and vitamin C is looking for volunteers. Researchers at The University of Nottingham are trying to find ways of helping us maintain muscle mass as we grow old and want to hear from healthy men aged between 18-28 and 65-75.

4 Feb 2011

Encouraging results from exon skipping gene-based therapy study for DMD

Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London have reported encouraging results in a new gene-based therapy for Duchenne Muscular dystrophy (DMD) which at present has no known cure and affects one in 3,000 young boys.

4 Jan 2011

Researchers investigate ways to counteract unhealthy effects of fat

A fat yet muscular mouse is helping researchers learn whether more muscle improves the cardiovascular health of obese individuals. We are looking for ways to counteract the unhealthy effects of fat, said Dr. David Stepp, vascular biologist at the Medical College of Georgia Vascular Biology Center and co-director of MCG's Diabetes & Obesity Discovery Institute.

23 Nov 2010

GTx third quarter net loss decreases to $8.6 million

GTx, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter of 2010. The net loss for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 was $8.6 million compared with a net loss of $12.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2009. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, GTx reported net income of $22.8 million compared with a net loss of $35.4 million for the same period in 2009.

9 Nov 2010

Kennedy Krieger Institute launches phase II clinical trial to investigate Revatio for DMD treatment

Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today the launch of a first‐of‐its‐kind, phase II clinical trial to investigate a treatment for heart disease in individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

13 Oct 2010

Amino acid mixture increases survival in mice

When mice are given drinking water laced with a special concoction of amino acids, they live longer than your average mouse, according to a new report in the October issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press publication. The key ingredients in the supplemental mixture are so-called branched-chain amino acids, which account for 3 of the 20 amino acids (specifically leucine, isoleucine, and valine) that are the building blocks of proteins.

6 Oct 2010

Cachexia reduces function and changes muscle structure of heart in mice with colon cancer

The wasting disease associated with some cancers that is typically seen affecting skeletal muscles can also cause significant damage to the heart, new research in mice suggests.

9 Sep 2010

Muscle mass plays key role in cancer survival: Research

In the vast majority of patients with advanced cancer, their muscles will gradually waste away for reasons that have never been well understood. Now, researchers reporting in the August 20 issue of Cell, a Cell Press Publication, have found some new clues and a way to reverse that process in mice. What's more, animals with cancer that received the experimental treatment lived significantly longer, even as their tumors continued to grow.

20 Aug 2010

GTx second-quarter net loss increases to $12.9 million

GTx, Inc. today reported financial results for the second quarter of 2010. The net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 was $12.9 million compared with a net loss of $11.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2009. The net loss for the second quarter of 2010 included a $1.7 million non-cash impairment charge related to the conclusion of the Phase III clinical trial of toremifene 20 mg.

9 Aug 2010

Exercise, restricted-calorie diets help to stave off mental, physical degeneration of aging: Research

Harvard University researchers have uncovered a mechanism through which caloric restriction and exercise delay some of the debilitating effects of aging by rejuvenating connections between nerves and the muscles that they control.

3 Aug 2010

Patients with malignant gastrointestinal disease show high prevalence of malnutrition

Malnutrition is an important factor, influencing both morbidity and recovery after surgery. The early detection of nutritional risk would allow early intervention, which may prevent later complications. A traditional nutritional assessment often includes dietary and medical evaluations to identify significant weight loss over time, significantly low or high body weight(BW), skinfold thickness, serum nutritional factor levels and functional measurements of muscle strength.

31 Jul 2010

CSHL scientists reverse symptoms of Type III SMA using ASOs

The devastating, currently incurable motor-neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy might soon be treated with tiny, chemically modified pieces of RNA called antisense oligonucleotides.

13 Jul 2010

Ostarine increases muscle mass and strength in postmenopausal women: Study

GTx, Inc. announced that Ostarine (GTx-024, formerly MK-2866) increased lean body mass and leg press strength in a head to head study evaluating Ostarine and another selective androgen receptor modulator, MK-3984, in postmenopausal women. The data were presented yesterday at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society. GTx is developing its lead SARM, Ostarine, for the treatment of cancer induced muscle wasting (cancer cachexia).

21 Jun 2010

GTx presents quality of life results from Ostarine Phase IIb study in cancer cachexia patients at ASCO 2010

GTx, Inc. today presented additional results from the Ostarine™ Phase IIb study demonstrating an improvement in quality of life (fatigue and anorexia) in cancer patients with muscle wasting (cancer cachexia) who demonstrated improvement in functional performance as measured by stair climb. Ostarine (GTx-024) is GTx's lead selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) which the company is developing for the treatment of cancer cachexia.

8 Jun 2010