Novel therapy for patients with muscular dystrophy identified
December 30th, 2008 - 4:36 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Dec 30 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Nevada School of Medicine Current have suggested that a protein, which helps cells stick together, may lead to enhanced muscle repair in muscular dystrophy.
Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited genetic diseases that cause progressive muscle weakness.
In one type of muscular dystrophy, patients with mutations in the adhesion molecule alpha 7 integrin experience delayed developmental milestones and impaired mobility.
Currently, there is no treatment or cure for alpha 7 integrin congenital myopathy.
Interactions of alpha 7 integrin with laminin, an extracellular protein found surrounding muscle fibers, promote muscle cell health and survival.
Alpha 7 integrin has also been implicated in muscle repair.
To find out if alpha 7 integrin is critical for muscle repair, Dr. Dean Burkin at the University of Nevada and colleagues examined the response to muscle damage in alpha 7 integrin-deficient mice.
They found that alpha 7 integrin-deficient muscle exhibited defective muscular regeneration.
However, injection of laminin-111 restored muscle repair and regeneration.
The data from Rooney et al “indicate a critical role for the alpha7beta1 integrin and laminin in muscle repair and suggest direct muscle injections of laminin may serve as an exciting novel therapy for patients with alpha 7 integrin congenital myopathy and other muscle diseases.”
The study appears in the January 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. (ANI)
- Protein modification involved in muscular dystrophy, cancer discovered - Jan 01, 2010
- Manipulating muscle stem cells could treat muscular dystrophy - Oct 10, 2010
- First clinical trial of gene therapy offers muscular dystrophy clues - Oct 07, 2010
- Stem cells bulk up muscle, halt ageing - Nov 11, 2010
- Vitamin E prevents muscle wasting, repairs cells - Dec 21, 2011
- New discovery may help inhibit cancer spread - Jan 15, 2010
- New therapy shows promise in treating muscular dystrophy - May 27, 2009
- Hepatitis C drug may offer potential treatment strategy for Muscular Dystrophy - Mar 17, 2008
- Human protein slows muscle damage in muscular dystrophy mice - Dec 28, 2010
- Stem cell transplant 'doubles muscle mass' - Nov 11, 2010
- Scientists make second critical advance in muscular dystrophy research - Oct 29, 2010
- Tasar silk could help heal damaged hearts - Jan 30, 2012
- Gene responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy can be repaired - Apr 16, 2010
- How support protein laminin plays a role in breast cancer development - Mar 08, 2011
- Misfolding neural proteins linked with autism - Sep 13, 2010
Tags: adhesion molecule, american journal of pathology, burkin, congenital myopathy, deficient mice, developmental milestones, dr dean, genetic diseases, journal of pathology, muscle cell, muscle damage, muscle diseases, muscle fibers, muscle repair, muscular dystrophy patients, nevada school, novel therapy, progressive muscle weakness, school of medicine, university of nevada school of medicine
