Researchers from the University of Michigan are investigating a possible way to treat muscular dystrophy, which directly targets muscle repair instead of the underlying genetic defect that leads to the disease. The research team, led by Haoxing Xu, PhD, discovered that mice missing TRPML1, a critical calcium channel inside the cell, showed similar muscle defects as those present in patients with muscular dystrophy, according to a UM news release. Mutations in certain proteins, typically the protein dystrophin, can cause this condition in humans as well as mice. Researchers increased the activity of the calcium channel in the muscular dystrophic mice, which improved muscle membrane repair and restored muscle function. Xu says, The hope is that the same calcium channel will work in people with muscular dystrophy. Though these mice did not have the defect in dystrophin, they still developed muscular dystrophy-like muscle characteristics, as indicated on the UM news release. The UM news release notes that while the treatment in mice using a gene therapy approach involved a viral carrier to insert extra TRPML1 channels in muscle, Xu says his team has recently discovered a drug that can activate this calcium channel. This drug might provide a similar boost to … Continue reading →

Lenoir County firefighters have made the most out of two fundraisers this year. On May 13, the union raised $19,688 in its St. Baldricks fundraiser at East Coast Wings for child cancer awareness and treatment. Then earlier this month, firefighters in several different units combined to raise $9,429.49 in a Fill The Boot campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Collectively, $29,117.49 was raised for the two charities. Coastal Carolina MDA fundraising coordinator Elizabeth Welborn said it was the highest total ever accumulated by the Lenoir County firefighters, as well as the greatest amount of volunteer firefighters participating. This was our 60th anniversary working with firefighters and we have done plenty of work with the Kinston department, Welborn said. Kinston raised $6,441.43, which is about $1,400 more than last year. This time around, you had Deep Run and Pink Hill helping out Kinston and last week, Sandy Bottom and North Lenoir fire departments had their own Fill The Boot event. Weve never had everyone do it at once, which has been wonderful. Jean Culbreth, organizer of the Kinston fire department union, said she had been appreciative of the firefighters work ethic, especially with the inaugural St. Baldricks event. I cant tell … Continue reading →