Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Awards UCLA $50,000 Exploratory Grant for Evaluation of Exon Skipping Enhancers in Duchenne
HACKENSACK, N.J., Jan. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the fight to end Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne), announced today that they will award Dr. M. Carrie Miceli and her team at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and College of Letters and Science, a $50,000 exploratory grant to continue their evaluation of exon skipping boosters for the treatment of Duchenne.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting approximately one in every 3,500 to 5,000 live male births. The loss of a key muscle protein called dystrophin causes muscle wasting and weakness, eventually leading to the loss of ambulation, difficulty breathing, and heart failure. Death typically occurs in the mid-to late 20s.
Duchenne is often caused by frame-shifting mutations that abolish dystrophin expression that can be repaired by antisense oligonucleotide (AON) directed "exon skipping." Ongoing clinical trials of exon 51 AON demonstrate dystrophin rescue and slowing of disease progression. Adding a targeted small molecule drug, in combination with the AON, may be a means of increasing skipped dystrophin levels and thereby increasing the effectiveness of treatment with AON alone. Dr. Miceli and her team at UCLA have identified drugs that boost AON-directed exon 51 skipping, which impinge on a common pathway. This has led her to predict that second-generation drugs may have even greater skip boosting activity. This grant will allow Dr. Miceli to continue exploring therapies that will promote skipping alone or in combination with AON directed against exon 51 or other exons currently in the clinical pipeline.
"Exon skipping is one of the most promising technologies being explored in Duchenne today," said PPMD's Founding President Pat Furlong. "Dr. Miceli and her team at UCLA are anticipating the next step in exon skipping technology, working to maximize the skipping ability of these potential therapies. While it is important to support therapies that are in the late stages of the clinical trial process, PPMD also remains dedicated to funding early-stage research from top scientists like Dr. Miceli."
Dr. Miceli is Co-Director of the Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Professor of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and the College of Letters and Science. She explained her team's project in more detail:
"Combination therapies that boost exon skipping by targeting muscle calcium pathways may lead to additional benefit by normalizing pathogenic Ca2+ leak also observed in Duchenne. As more treatments are realized for DMD, it will be important to understand how targeting multiple pathways can lead to synergies that result in even greater therapeutic efficacy."
To learn more about Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy's grant opportunities, please visit our website. To see a full list of what we are funding, click here.
About Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne is a fatal genetic disorder that slowly robs young men of their muscle strength. Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—our mission is to end Duchenne.
We invest deeply in treatments for this generation of young men affected by Duchenne and in research that will benefit future generations. We advocate in Washington, DC, and have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. We demand optimal care, and we strengthen, unite and educate the global Duchenne community.
Everything we do—and everything we have done since our founding in 1994—helps boys with Duchenne live longer, stronger lives. We will not rest until every young man has a treatment to end Duchenne. Go to www.ParentProjectMD.org for more information or to learn how you can support our efforts and help families affected by Duchenne.
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SOURCE Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
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