Blog Archives

Inhibition of a cardiac microRNA improves fibrosis and function in a mouse model of DMD

American and South Korean researchers have studied the myocardial dysfunction observed in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Their work involved a transgenic mouse with a combined but partial dystrophin and utrophin (mdx/utrn (+/-)) deficiency: an inhibitory microRNA was delivered to the animal via an AAV (adeno-associated virus) type 9 (AAV9) to counter the effects of miRNA25, an … [Read more]

Newborn screening for DMD as seen by various stakeholders

Australian researchers wanted to know how newborn screening (NBS) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) would be perceived at a time when innovative, supposedly effective therapies are being announced: 50 caregivers and 26 healthcare professionals took part in a survey, the vast majority (80%) said they were in favor of screening, even if few knew the … [Read more]

Preserving oral health when taking anti-CD20 drugs

A team from Nice University Hospital reports: a series of six patients aged 34 to 79 who presented with oral disorders (pain, dental abscess or fracture, periodontitis…) 10 days to two years after starting anti-CD20 therapy (rituximab or ocrelizumab) for autoimmune myasthenia, multiple sclerosis or neuromyelitis optica ; the Vigibase worldwide pharmacovigilance database has recorded … [Read more]

Institute seminar – 31 May – Dr Lucy Collinson (UK)

Volume electron microscopy and correlative imaging – how to find the needle in the haystack Friday 31 May 2024 – 11h00-12h00 – Institute of Myology, Paris Dr Lucy Collinson (Head of Electron Microscopy, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK) Auditorium of the Institut of Myology Babinski Building Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière Entrance from the 50/52 boulevard Vincent … [Read more]

SMA with 4 copies of SMN2, a form with infantile onset?

A study of data from 268 patients with 4 copies of the SMN2 gene from the SMArtCARE registry showed : an average age of first symptoms of 6.4 years, 55% of patients present their first symptoms before the age of 3 and almost 95% are symptomatic by the age of 18, 3% have never acquired … [Read more]

Prevalence of epilepsy in dystrophinopathies revised downwards

According to a retrospective study carried out in Spain on data from 416 patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy or asymptomatic hyperCKemia : the prevalence of epilepsy was 1.4%, much lower than estimated by various previous studies (3.1% to 7.9%), but slightly higher than in the general population (0.5 to 1% in children … [Read more]

Characterisation of Ku-positive myositis reveals a degree of heterogeneity

An international consortium, including clinicians from the Institute of Myology, pooled clinical and biological data from patients suffering from a rare form of inflammatory myopathy, Ku-positive myositis, and compared them with existing data for autoimmune necrotising myopathy (AINM): 26 muscle biopsies (anti-Ku-positive) from a cohort of 50 Japanese patients and 10 German patients investigated for … [Read more]

Opto-acoustic imaging for spinal muscular atrophy

German researchers have applied a technology designed to explore, non-invasively, patients suffering from proximal spinal muscular atrophy linked to the SMN1 gene (SMA) and benefiting from innovative therapies: opto-acoustic imaging is a non-invasive technique which enables variations in signal at the level of muscle tissue to be measured in three dimensions, depending on its trophicity … [Read more]

A Europe-wide analysis of Zolgensma® side effects

Between January 2019 and September 2023, the pharmacovigilance database of the European Medicines Agency collected 661 individual reports of adverse reactions linked to Zolgensma®, representing a total of 2744 adverse reactions. In more than 92% of cases, only Zolgensma® was suspected. More than 50% of adverse reactions were classified as serious: 21% resulted in hospitalisation … [Read more]

TRAPPC11 diseases reviewed

On the occasion of the description of a Mexican case with an anomaly in the gene encoding the TRAPPC11 complex, a team from Mexico City reviewed the 54 cases of TRAPPC11-pathies published to date: the muscle involvement was of the slowly progressive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type (LGMDR18) with or without developmental delay and/or cognitive difficulties … [Read more]