Vascular-Targeted Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in a gene called dystrophin, which acts to maintain muscle fiber structure and function in the whole body, preventing it from being damaged by muscle contraction. Presently, there is no definitive treatment for DMD patients, and current therapies focus on prolonging survival and improving quality of life. It is possible to reduce muscle fiber damage by using pro-angiogenic factors, including anti-Flt1 monoclonal antibody and novel Flt1-LNP-mRNA vaccine, to increase the number of blood vessels and observe the resultant effects on the muscular dystrophy phenotype in DMD model mice. Thus, the administration of anti-Flt1 monoclonal antibody or Flt1-LNP-mRNA vaccine will assist the development of new therapies for DMD via increased vascular density in blood-starved dystrophic muscles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310461
Entities
People
- Atsushi Asakura
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Minnesota