Today I’m going to use our former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as an example of what happens to our muscles when we age. One of Arnold’s many talents when he was younger was being a professional bodybuilder. As you can see in this photo, Arnold worked hard to generate an impressive amount of muscle that landed … Continue reading Scientists find new stem cell target for regenerating aging muscles
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Rare disease underdogs come out on top at CIRM Board meeting
It seems like an oxymoron but one in ten Americans has a rare disease. With more than 7,000 known rare diseases it’s easy to see how each one could affect thousands of individuals and still be considered a rare or orphan condition. Only 5% of rare diseases have FDA approved therapies People with rare … Continue reading Rare disease underdogs come out on top at CIRM Board meeting
Family ties help drive UCLA’s search for a stem cell treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
April Pyle, Courtney Young and Melissa Spencer: Photo courtesy UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center People get into science for all sorts of different reasons. For Courtney Young the reason was easy; she has a cousin with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Now her work as part of a team at UCLA has led to a new … Continue reading Family ties help drive UCLA’s search for a stem cell treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Gene editing treats mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
On New Year's Eve, Science magazine published three articles (here, here, here) simultaneously that successfully used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to treat mice that have Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD is a rare, genetic disease that affects approximately 1 in 3,600 boys in the US. It’s caused by a mutation in the dystrophin gene, which generates … Continue reading Gene editing treats mice with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Stem cells could offer hope for deadly childhood muscle wasting disease
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a particularly nasty rare and fatal disease. It predominantly affects boys, slowly robbing them of their ability to control their muscles. By 10 years of age, boys with DMD start to lose the ability to walk; by 12, most need a wheelchair to get around. Eventually they become paralyzed, and … Continue reading Stem cells could offer hope for deadly childhood muscle wasting disease
Stanford Scientists Turn Back Clock on Aging Cells
In the end, all living things—even the cells in our bodies—must die. But what if we could delay the inevitable, even just for a bit? What new scientific advances could come as a result? Stanford scientists have found a way to temporarily extend the life of an aging cell. In research published this week in … Continue reading Stanford Scientists Turn Back Clock on Aging Cells