News

A new gene editing technique was able to fix the mutation that most commonly causes type 2A limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), a new study reports. “We show an effective and precise repair to correct the most frequent [LGMD type 2A] mutation … Our approach is a promising source for…

Protecting structures on the end of chromosomes, called telomeres, by increasing levels of the protein TRF2, was found to improve heart cell survival and function in a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a new study reports. “Our findings suggest that preserving telomere lengths plays a critical role in…

Sarepta Therapeutics is calling for applications for the 6th annual Route 79, The Duchenne Scholarship Program, for the 2023-2024 academic year. The scholarships, of up to $5,000, will be awarded to up to 20 students living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and up to five siblings of…

The European Commission (EC) has granted orphan drug designation to AB-1003, an investigational gene therapy for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I/R9 (LGMD 2I/R9), being developed by Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio). This designation is given to therapies for life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases — those affecting no more than five…

GIVI-MPC, a stem cell therapy to create new muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), has been designated an orphan drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Orphan drug status encourages the development of therapies for rare diseases — those affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S.

Thousands of retailers across the U.S. are helping the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) kick off MDA Shamrocks, its annual fundraising campaign in support of those living with muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other neuromuscular disorders (NMDs). Money raised through the effort — said to be…

AOC 1020, Avidity Biosciences’ investigational therapy for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), has been granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The designation is intended to encourage the development of therapies for rare diseases, those affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. It provides…

Nearly half of the 24 children with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) in a French study showed signs of poorer nighttime respiration, reflected by rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. These increases in CO2 did not significantly associate with the presence of sleep apnea — when breathing repeatedly starts and…

Five of seven clinical milestones in managing Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) occurred significantly later for Black males than for white males, a new study reports. These gaps appeared to stem from the initial delays in the first evaluation, which occurred for Black children 2.3 years later than for white…

New research into a mechanism underlying Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — which revealed a chemical modification in gene activity — has shed light on potential treatments for the muscle-wasting disease, and may aid in diagnosis, according to scientists. DMD, the study showed, is characterized by a specific pattern of…