(PRINTWORDS NEWS) In a new research published on 27 th December in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, mice with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy was treated by injecting them with a natural human protein called biglycan. It marks a new chapter in the research to cure Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy hitherto known as an incurable disease. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most prevalent form of muscular dystrophy, that affects one of every 3,500 boys in the United States. Premature death is the result of the disease.
The condition is a fatal recessive X chromosome linked form of muscular dystrophy that leads to rapid progression of muscle degeneration. It is caused by a mutation of the dystrophin gene located at the X chromosome. It is obviously less common in girls as the recessive gene lies in the X chromosome, but if the gene is on the X chromosomes of a girl she would have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
The new breakthrough research shows that the human protein biglycan significantly slows muscle damage in mdx mice. Biglycan pulls the utrophin to the muscle membrane. Utrophin is in the same family of proteins as dystrophin, and hence are capable of undertaking similar functions. “Utrophin is required for the rhBGN therapeutic effect,” the study stated, “Several lines of evidence indicate that biglycan acts by recruiting utrophin protein to the muscle membrane.”
The next aim now is to devise a therapy that will improve the condition of patients suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Justin Fallon, professor of Neuro-science at Brown University who was one of the senior author of the paper, is very much hopeful that the study would provide a major impetus to the treatment of the condition.
