News

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has awarded Dr. Johanna Hamel, a neurologist at New York’s University of Rochester, a $130,000 fellowship to help her research the underlying mechanisms that cause myotonic dystrophy — the most common form of adult-onset muscular dystrophy. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Brain Foundation…

Everest to End Duchenne, an organization raising funds to support research to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is looking for hikers, outdoor enthusiasts and climbers to take part in its second trek to Mount Everest Base Camp on Sept. 25. The treks represent the challenge that boys with Duchenne…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administation has granted orphan designation to Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals‘ drug candidate MNK-1411 for treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). MNK-1411 is an injection composed of a formulation of tetracosactide, which is a synthetic melanocortin receptor agonist. Melanocortin receptor agonists are hormones that activate melanocortin receptors and…

The molecular process that leads to congenital myotonic dystrophy (CMD) in infants and children was identified by researchers working with tissue samples and mice. Their study, titled “Disrupted prenatal RNA processing and myogenesis in congenital myotonic dystrophy,” was published in the journal Genes and Development. Genes code for various proteins that…

A comprehensive 12-year genetic and clinical analysis of unrelated patients with congenital muscular dystrophies (CMDs) in the U.K. has confirmed MDC1A as the the most common CMD subtype, and identified 160 new mutations. The study, “Congenital muscular dystrophies in the UK population: Clinical and molecular spectrum of a large…

Overnight use of hand braces preserves hand function and delays the development of shortened muscles or joints in boys who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a study shows. The research, “Evaluation of hand orthoses in Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” was published in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation. Life expectancy in boys…

Experts provided an overview of the many approaches to counteract the loss of muscle mass, inflammation, fibrosis, calcium overload, oxidative stress, and ischemia (inadequate blood supply) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), without actually targeting the cause, a mutation in the dystrophin gene. The review, “Pharmacological therapeutics targeting the secondary…

End-stage heart failure is increasingly becoming the main cause of death in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Because cardiomyopathy, an abnormal heart condition, is difficult to detect, a study examined current diagnostic methods, treatment options, and potential future therapies for heart failure among…

Scientists have designed two proteins that stabilized muscle cell membrane support and maintained the structure of muscle fibers in animal models of congenital muscular dystrophy (MD). The finding, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, can not only provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of muscular dystrophy, but may…

Interim results from the Phase 1/2 trial clinical trial investigating CAP-1002 as a treatment for heart disease associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are being presented today at the 2017 Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) Annual Connect Conference taking place in Chicago. Linda Marbán, president and CEO of Capricor Therapeutics, is talking about the company’s plans…