MDA: Gene treatment for muscle promising

November 12, 2009

By hammersmith

[Source: The Arizona Daily Star] – The Muscular Dystrophy Association is prepared to underwrite a clinical trial for a promising gene therapy that could preserve and strengthen muscle fibers in patients with neuromuscular diseases.
Based on reports published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine, injections of genes for a protein called follistatin increased muscle size and strength in the upper legs of four macaque monkeys.