Scientists at the University of Missouri say they have successfully treated dogs with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and say that clinical trials are being planned in the next few years, reported Science Daily.
Patients with DMD have a gene mutation that disrupts the production of dystrophin, the absence of which starts a chain reaction that eventually leads to muscle cell degeneration and death.
Study leader Dongsheng Duan said "we were able to develop a miniature version of this gene," adding that the "minimized dystrophin protected all muscles in the body of diseased mice."
According to the news source, it took the team more than 10 years to develop a strategy that can safely send micro-dystrophin to every muscle in a dog that is afflicted by the disease.
In the study, investigators demonstrated for the first time that a common virus can deliver the microgene to all muscles in the body of a diseased dog.
The dogs were injected with the virus when they were two to three months old and just starting to show signs of DMD. The dogs are now six to seven months old and continue to develop normally, the news source said
