scholarly journals Therapeutic aspects of cell signaling and communication in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicja Starosta ◽  
Patryk Konieczny
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Signal Transmission ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Force Transducer ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Wasting ◽  
Pathway Activation ◽  
Or Gene

AbstractDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating chromosome X-linked disease that manifests predominantly in progressive skeletal muscle wasting and dysfunctions in the heart and diaphragm. Approximately 1/5000 boys and 1/50,000,000 girls suffer from DMD, and to date, the disease is incurable and leads to premature death. This phenotypic severity is due to mutations in the DMD gene, which result in the absence of functional dystrophin protein. Initially, dystrophin was thought to be a force transducer; however, it is now considered an essential component of the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC), viewed as a multicomponent mechanical scaffold and a signal transduction hub. Modulating signal pathway activation or gene expression through epigenetic modifications has emerged at the forefront of therapeutic approaches as either an adjunct or stand-alone strategy. In this review, we propose a broader perspective by considering DMD to be a disease that affects myofibers and muscle stem (satellite) cells, as well as a disorder in which abrogated communication between different cell types occurs. We believe that by taking this systemic view, we can achieve safe and holistic treatments that can restore correct signal transmission and gene expression in diseased DMD tissues.

scholarly journals Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Extensive Progenitor Cell Deficiencies in a Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Metabolites ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josiane Joseph ◽  
Dong Cho ◽  
Jason Doles
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Progenitor Cell ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Mdx Mouse ◽  
Mdx Mice ◽  
Metabolic Alterations ◽  
Potential Contributor

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a musculoskeletal disorder that causes severe morbidity and reduced lifespan. Individuals with DMD have an X-linked mutation that impairs their ability to produce functional dystrophin protein in muscle. No cure exists for this disease and the few therapies that are available do not dramatically delay disease progression. Thus, there is a need to better understand the mechanisms underlying DMD which may ultimately lead to improved treatment options. The muscular dystrophy (MDX) mouse model is frequently used to explore DMD disease traits. Though some studies of metabolism in dystrophic mice exist, few have characterized metabolic profiles of supporting cells in the diseased environment. Using nontargeted metabolomics we characterized metabolic alterations in muscle satellite cells (SCs) and serum of MDX mice. Additionally, live-cell imaging revealed MDX-derived adipose progenitor cell (APC) defects. Finally, metabolomic studies revealed a striking elevation of acylcarnitines in MDX APCs, which we show can inhibit APC proliferation. Together, these studies highlight widespread metabolic alterations in multiple progenitor cell types and serum from MDX mice and implicate dystrophy-associated metabolite imbalances in APCs as a potential contributor to adipose tissue disequilibrium in DMD.

scholarly journals Monitoring disease activity noninvasively in the mdx model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (30) ◽  
pp. 7741-7746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Filareto ◽  
Katie Maguire-Nguyen ◽  
Qiang Gan ◽  
Garazi Aldanondo ◽  
Léo Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Luciferase Expression ◽  
Muscle Degeneration ◽  
Reporter Strain ◽  
Novel Treatments

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare, muscle degenerative disease resulting from the absence of the dystrophin protein. DMD is characterized by progressive loss of muscle fibers, muscle weakness, and eventually loss of ambulation and premature death. Currently, there is no cure for DMD and improved methods of disease monitoring are crucial for the development of novel treatments. In this study, we describe a new method of assessing disease progression noninvasively in the mdx model of DMD. The reporter mice, which we term the dystrophic Degeneration Reporter strains, contain an inducible CRE-responsive luciferase reporter active in mature myofibers. In these mice, muscle degeneration is reflected in changes in the level of luciferase expression, which can be monitored using noninvasive, bioluminescence imaging. We monitored the natural history and disease progression in these dystrophic report mice and found that decreases in luciferase signals directly correlated with muscle degeneration. We further demonstrated that this reporter strain, as well as a previously reported Regeneration Reporter strain, successfully reveals the effectiveness of a gene therapy treatment following systemic administration of a recombinant adeno-associated virus-6 (rAAV-6) encoding a microdystrophin construct. Our data demonstrate the value of these noninvasive imaging modalities for monitoring disease progression and response to therapy in mouse models of muscular dystrophy.

scholarly journals Laminin-111 protein therapy enhances muscle regeneration and repair in the GRMD dog model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (16) ◽  
pp. 2686-2695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Barraza-Flores ◽  
Tatiana M Fontelonga ◽  
Ryan D Wuebbles ◽  
Hailey J Hermann ◽  
Andreia M Nunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Muscle Disease ◽  
Muscle Pathology ◽  
Mdx Mouse ◽  
Protein Therapy ◽  
Muscle Fibrosis ◽  
Dog Model

Abstract Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating X-linked disease affecting ~1 in 5000 males. DMD patients exhibit progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, leading to loss of ambulation and premature death from cardiopulmonary failure. We previously reported that mouse Laminin-111 (msLam-111) protein could reduce muscle pathology and improve muscle function in the mdx mouse model for DMD. In this study, we examined the ability of msLam-111 to prevent muscle disease progression in the golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dog model of DMD. The msLam-111 protein was injected into the cranial tibial muscle compartment of GRMD dogs and muscle strength and pathology were assessed. The results showed that msLam-111 treatment increased muscle fiber regeneration and repair with improved muscle strength and reduced muscle fibrosis in the GRMD model. Together, these findings support the idea that Laminin-111 could serve as a novel protein therapy for the treatment of DMD.

scholarly journals Degenerative and regenerative pathways underlying Duchenne muscular dystrophy revealed by single-nucleus RNA sequencing

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (47) ◽  
pp. 29691-29701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Chemello ◽  
Zhaoning Wang ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
John R. McAnally ◽  
Ning Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Dystrophin Gene ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Muscle Pathology ◽  
Dystrophic Muscle ◽  
Nonmuscle Cell ◽  
Prevalent Disease ◽  
Single Nucleus ◽  
Muscle Disorder

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal muscle disorder characterized by cycles of degeneration and regeneration of multinucleated myofibers and pathological activation of a variety of other muscle-associated cell types. The extent to which different nuclei within the shared cytoplasm of a myofiber may display transcriptional diversity and whether individual nuclei within a multinucleated myofiber might respond differentially to DMD pathogenesis is unknown. Similarly, the potential transcriptional diversity among nonmuscle cell types within dystrophic muscle has not been explored. Here, we describe the creation of a mouse model of DMD caused by deletion of exon 51 of the dystrophin gene, which represents a prevalent disease-causing mutation in humans. To understand the transcriptional abnormalities and heterogeneity associated with myofiber nuclei, as well as other mononucleated cell types that contribute to the muscle pathology associated with DMD, we performed single-nucleus transcriptomics of skeletal muscle of mice with dystrophin exon 51 deletion. Our results reveal distinctive and previously unrecognized myonuclear subtypes within dystrophic myofibers and uncover degenerative and regenerative transcriptional pathways underlying DMD pathogenesis. Our findings provide insights into the molecular underpinnings of DMD, controlled by the transcriptional activity of different types of muscle and nonmuscle nuclei.

Gene expression in blood of subjects with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Neurogenetics ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Wong ◽  
Donald L. Gilbert ◽  
Wynn L. Walker ◽  
Isaac H. Liao ◽  
Lisa Lit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy

Psychological Processes Associated with Premature Death in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

1983 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Carlson ◽  
Roger A. Brumback
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Progressive Deterioration ◽  
Psychological Disturbances ◽  
The Family

Intrafamilial and professional-family relationships are adversely affected by the progressive deterioration and inevitable death of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Professionals dealing with these families need to (1) develop an integrated, family systems approach to the dystrophic child's situation, (2) give the dystrophic child permission to “experiment” with life, and (3) provide straightforward information regarding the disease process to the dystrophic child and the family. More studies of the psychological disturbances in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and of possible intervention techniques are necessary.

scholarly journals Reversal of cardiac and skeletal manifestations of Duchenne muscular dystrophy by cardiosphere-derived cells and their exosomes in mdx dystrophic mice and in human Duchenne cardiomyocytes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Aminzadeh ◽  
Russell G. Rogers ◽  
Kenneth Gouin ◽  
Mario Fournier ◽  
Rachel E. Tobin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Cardiac Function ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Skeletal Myopathy ◽  
Genetic Deficiency ◽  
Dystrophic Mice

Genetic deficiency of dystrophin leads to disability and premature death in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, affecting the heart as well as skeletal muscle. Here we report that cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), which are being tested clinically for the treatment of Duchenne cardiomyopathy, improve cardiac and skeletal myopathy in the mdx mouse model of DMD and in human Duchenne cardiomyocytes. Injection of CDCs into the hearts of mdx mice augments cardiac function, ambulatory capacity and survival. Exosomes secreted by human CDCs reproduce the benefits of CDCs in mdx mice and in human Duchenne cardiomyocytes. The findings further motivate the testing of CDCs in Duchenne patients, while identifying exosomes as next-generation therapeutic candidates.

scholarly journals Pathological Alterations in the Gastrointestinal Tract of a Porcine Model of DMD

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Zhou ◽  
Hongsheng Ouyang ◽  
Daxin Pang ◽  
Renzhi Han ◽  
Xiaochun Tang
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Nuclear Transfer ◽  
Porcine Model ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Absorption Capacity ◽  
Gastrointestinal Dysfunction ◽  
Dystrophin Expression

Abstract Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) develop severe skeletal and cardiac muscle pathologies, which result in premature death. Therefore, the current therapeutic efforts are mainly targeted to correct dystrophin expression in skeletal muscle and heart. However, it was reported that DMD patients may also exhibit gastrointestinal and nutritional problems. How the pathological alterations in gastrointestinal tissues may contribute to the disease are not fully explored. Here we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system combined with somatic nuclear transfer technology (SCNT) to establish a porcine model of DMD and explored their pathological alterations. We found that genetic disruption of dystrophin expression led1 to morphological gastrointestinal tract alterations, weakened the gastrointestinal tract digestion and absorption capacity, and eventually led to malnutrition and gastric dysfunction in the DMD pigs. This work provides important insights into the pathogenesis of DMD and highlights the need to consider the gastrointestinal dysfunction as an additional therapeutic target for DMD patients.

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