Treating Muscular Dystrophy

(University of Basel, June 29, 2017)

Muscular dystrophy is a term used to describe many different muscular diseases caused by genetic defects. To date, there are no treatments available to stop disease progression. A research team at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, has now designed two proteins that not only recover muscle force and increase body weight in the sick animals but also significantly prolong survival. Both of the designed proteins may possibly be used in the future as a gene therapy treatment for congenital muscular dystrophy. The study is a nice example of how the understanding of a disease on the molecular and cellular level results in new therapeutic options.