Our recent work showed that daily injections of osteoprotegerin (OPG)-immunoglobulin fragment complex (OPG-Fc) completely restore the function of fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus muscles in dystrophic mdx mice, a murine model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. However, despite marked improvements, OPG-Fc was not as effective in preventing the loss of function of slow-twitch soleus and diaphragm muscles. Because β-agonists enhance the function of slow- and fast-twitch dystrophic muscles and because their use is limited by their adverse effects on bone and cardiac tissues, we hypothesized that OPG-Fc, a bone and skeletal muscle protector, acts synergistically with β-agonists and potentiates their positive effects on skeletal muscles. We observed that the content of β-adrenergic receptors, which are mainly expressed in skeletal muscle, is significantly reduced in dystrophic muscles but is rescued by the injection of OPG-Fc. Most important, OPG-Fc combined with a low dose of formoterol, a member of a new generation of β-agonists, histologically and functionally rescued slow-twitch dystrophic muscles. This combination of therapeutic agents, which have already been tested and approved for human use, may open up new therapeutic avenues for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and possibly other neuromuscular diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2016.11.006 | DOI Listing |
Cells
December 2024
Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy.
Zebrafish () have emerged as a valuable model organism for investigating musculoskeletal development and the pathophysiology of associated diseases. Key genes and biological processes in zebrafish that closely mirror those in humans, rapid development, and transparent embryos make zebrafish ideal for the in vivo studies of bone and muscle formation, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal disorders. This review focuses on the utility of zebrafish in modeling various musculoskeletal conditions, with an emphasis on bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteogenesis imperfecta, as well as muscle disorders like Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Thorac Surg Short Rep
December 2024
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
A 44-year-old man with a history of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and pectus excavatum presented with multiyear history of progressive, severe respiratory dysfunction, pain, recurrent respiratory infection, and chest wall deformity. With bioprosthetic engineers, the surgical team customized a 3-dimensional printed model of a sternal implant interacting with the patient's anatomy. After approval from the Food and Drug Administration, the customized sternal plates were created and implanted in a sternal reconstruction operation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle
February 2025
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
Background: Adeno-associated virus (AAV) 8 and 9 are in clinical trials for treating neuromuscular diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Muscle consists of myofibres of different types and sizes. However, little is known about the fibre type and fibre size tropism of AAV in large mammals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSkelet Muscle
January 2025
Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Department of Neurology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
Background: Maintaining the connection between skeletal muscle fibers and the surrounding basement membrane is essential for muscle function. Dystroglycan (DG) serves as a basement membrane extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor in many cells, and is also expressed in the outward-facing membrane, or sarcolemma, of skeletal muscle fibers. DG is a transmembrane protein comprised of two subunits: alpha-DG (α-DG), which resides in the peripheral membrane, and beta-DG (β-DG), which spans the membrane to intracellular regions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrphanet J Rare Dis
January 2025
Department of Cardiac Physiology, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, 6-1 Kishibe-Shimmachi, Suita, Osaka, 564-8565, Japan.
Background: Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 (TRPV2) functions as a stretch-sensitive calcium channel, with overexpression in the sarcolemma of skeletal and cardiac myocytes leading to detrimental calcium influx and triggering muscle degeneration. In our previous pilot study, we showed that tranilast, a TRPV2 inhibitor, reduced brain natriuretic peptide levels in two patients with muscular dystrophy and advanced heart failure. Building on this, we performed a single-arm, open-label, multicenter study herein to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tranilast in the treatment of advanced heart failure in patients with muscular dystrophy.
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