Sunday, December 9, 2012

Muscular Dystrophy Mystery Solved

According to Science Daily 250,000 people in the United States suffer from muscular dystrophy.  This is a condition which occurs when damaged muscle tissue is replaced with fibrous, bony or fatty tissue causing the muscle to loses function. Three years ago, scientists found a molecular compound that is essential  to curing the disease.  However, they didn't know how to make the compound bind to the muscle cells.  In a new study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, MU School of Medicine scientists Yi Lai and Dongsheng Duan have discovered that dystrophin has a special 'claw' that is used to grab nNOS bringing it closer to the muscle cell.



Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)  is a type of muscular dystrophy. These patients, which are mostly male, have a gene mutation that disrupts the production of dystrophin.  This is an important protein allowing muscle cell survival and function. Lack of dystrophin starts a chain reaction that eventually leads to complete muscle cell degeneration.  This protein also needs  "helpers" to maintain the muscle tissue.  One of the "helper" molecular compounds is nNOS, which produces nitric oxide that can keep muscle cells healthy after exercise.  Now that scientists  know that distrophin is a key factor in attracting the nNOS they can begin to develop  a therapy and hopefully a longer lifespan for patients suffering from the disease.

 
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3 comments:

  1. battersjDecember 10, 2012 at 8:31 AM

    A cure for DMD would help many. Hopefully, they can find the cure and help preserve life for the individuals affected. DMD is a very deteriorating disease and needs to be cured.

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  2. dorsalDecember 10, 2012 at 3:32 PM

    It is awesome that they now know that distrophin is a key factor in attracting the nNOS. It is also good that they now know what their new study should include to finish the research.

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  3. kaylafFebruary 10, 2013 at 12:28 PM

    It appears to me that the most difficult part of the treatment has been achieved. Analyzing the underlying issue and discovering that dystrophin is the key factor in attracting nNOS now actually gives researchers and doctors something to build on regarding treatment. Perhaps a form of dystrophin can be manipulated into a form where it can be issued to sufferers of Muscular Dystrophy through vaccinations, whether it be a cure, or regular injections. The cure is now right at the fingertips of scientists.

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