One of the discoverers of the gene responsible for
myotonic muscular dystrophy, Dr. Mani S. Mahadevan, recently discovered a
potential treatment for the disease. The
drug that Dr. Mahadevan identified may be able to slow down the progression of
muscle damage and muscle dysfunction associated with muscular dystrophy. The drug is also currently being evaluated
for its ability to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Mahadevan and his research team used
the drug that was identified to conduct laboratory tests on mice with
myotonic dystrophy. After being treated
with the drug, the mice showed evidence of improved muscle function and improved
grip strength. Their muscles also became
healthier and many of them lived longer.
The Food and Drug Administration has
not approved the drug so it is not yet available for patient use. Before the Food and Drug Administration
approves the drug for patient use, clinical trials must be performed on people with the disease
to determine if it is effective in humans.
I found this study very
intriguing. I think the results of the
study show promise for the drug's potential success in the treatment of people with myotonic
muscular dystrophy. I think
the findings of the study and the promise for future clinical trials for the use of the drug on humans will provide a lot of hope for people affected by
myotonic muscular dystrophy and their families.
This is awesome. Anytime a possible drug treatment for a serious disease comes about, its exciting stuff. A club I'm a part of actually has done some fundraising for the muscular dystrophy association, so ill definitely have to keep up with this.
ReplyDeleteDoes the article mention anything specific about the drug? I've also done some research on the effect of satellite and stem cells in regenerating muscle tissue (a possible treatment for muscular dystrophy), and I'm wondering if this drug isn't the result of clinical testing of these cells.
ReplyDeleteFinding a potential treat for MD and possibly even rheumatoid arthritis is very exciting. Many people are affected by joint problems such as those and if a treatment was found, many people could potentially have decreased or maybe even no pain. Hoping this potential treatment is a success!
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