News

Blood Pressure Medication Slows Heart Fibrosis, and Probably Heart Disease, in MD Patients

Treating Duchenne and Becker’s muscular dystrophy patients with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) blocking drugs at early disease stages may slow the development of heart fibrosis and, as a consequence, offer patients a better prognosis. Those findings are in the study “Myocardial Fibrosis Progression in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy,” which was published…

TOR Inhibitor Eases Fibrosis and Improves Muscle Strength in Mice with MD Subtype

Rapamycin administered to a mouse model of dystroglycanopathy, a particular form of muscular dystrophy, worked to reduce fibrosis and inflammation, researchers reported, while enhancing muscle strength. The study, “Four-week rapamycin treatment improves muscular dystrophy in a fukutin-deficient mouse model of dystroglycanopathy,” was published in the journal Skeletal Muscle. Eystrophin-glycoprotein…

Cognitive Decline Study in Late-onset DM1 Could Be Useful in Potential New Treatments

A study describing the cognitive decline over time in adults with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) was published in the scientific journal Neuromuscular Disorders. The study, titled “Cognitive decline over time in adults with myotonic dystrophy type 1: A 9-year longitudinal study” assessed the cognitive ability of the participants over a period of nine years and is the longest study to date with the largest group of participants.

Catabasis Previews MoveDMD Phase 2 Trial Results at Investor Day

At Catabasis Pharmaceuticals’ first Investor Day earlier this month, the company provided an in-depth review of its strategy and development pipeline of product candidates for treating rare diseases, including the Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug edasalonexent (CAT-1004). Guest speakers included Craig McDonald, MD, director of the NeuroNEXT Program at…

New 3D Structure of Muscle with Fibrosis Could Lead to Therapies for MD, Other Diseases

Researchers recently created a 3D image of the structure and composition of the skeletal muscle, including muscle affected by fibrosis, using multiple imaging techniques coupled with quantitative stereology. The study from a research team at UC San Diego and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, titled “High-resolution three-dimensional reconstruction of fibrotic skeletal muscle…