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Question about future treatment

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  • February 25, 2012 at 12:02 am #74277
    Question about future treatment

    Hi Kelvidge, I was wondering if you could answer quick question. If there was a cure or treatment tomorrow, just hypothetically, I was wondering if muscle is already lost is it posible to get it back? Say there was a gene therapy tested and ready or something, would it be that any degeneration would be halted from that point and you just remain the same or could it be/is it biologically possible to start building muscle again? Sorry if my question isn’t clear, i have just been wondering about this.

    Thank you.

    LoneWanderer
    Participant
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    Joined: 14/06/2011
    February 25, 2012 at 11:38 pm #84671
    Re: Question about future treatment

    Hi

    Sorry to be less than positive but I suspect even if they suddenly found the cure or an effective treatment for muscle disease it would not undo the damage that is already done. I have had this conversation with my neuro and was told I could do lots to help myself with exercise etc to keep my muscles stronger for as long as possible but that no matter what I did or what treatment I was given it would be unable to help the damage already done.

    We live in hope!!

    miracle77
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    Joined: 17/08/2011
    February 28, 2012 at 11:47 am #84672
    Re: Question about future treatment

    Hi Lone Wanderer and miracle77,

    Yes I think miracle77 is right there, it is difficult to undo the damage already done and what the researchers are hoping for is to halt the progression of muscular dystrophy, which would be a major triumph.. Having said that though, there are muscle stem cells that are known to regenerate muscle but they do get less efficient as we get older and there is some indication that they might not work so well in muscle that is affected by disease. Some of our researchers are looking into this to see if there is any way to stimulate the muscle stem cells to repair muscle more efficiently.

    http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/research/grants/current_grants/504_assessing_the_impacts_of_muscle_environment_on_stem_cell_behaviour

    http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/research/grants/current_grants/511_the_role_of_the_protein_bmi1_in_the_replication_of_muscle_stem_cells

    Hope this answers your question!
    Kristina.

    kelvidge
    Participant
    Posts: 113
    Joined: 07/09/2010
    March 2, 2012 at 12:27 pm #84673
    Re: Question about future treatment

    New Type of Stem cell found in French research.

    http://www.muscular-dystrophy.org/news/5201_new_type_of_muscle_stem_cell_identified

    I hope this is as good as it sounds.

    "Even if you are not paranoid, it does not mean they are not out to get you!".

    taungfox
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