Project description:Comparative analysis of gene expression levels from hindlimb muscle tissue from 8 week old mouse models for muscular dystrophy. We have used mouse models with dystrophin-, sarcoglycan-, sarcospan-, or dysferlin-deficiency. Keywords = muscular dystrophy
Project description:Comparative analysis of gene expression levels from hindlimb muscle tissue from 8 week old mouse models for muscular dystrophy. We have used mouse models with dystrophin-, sarcoglycan-, sarcospan-, or dysferlin-deficiency. Keywords = muscular dystrophy Keywords: other
Project description:Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disease that results in the death of affected boys by early adulthood.The genetic defect responsible for DMD has been known for over 25 years, yet at present there is neither cure nor effective treatment for DMD. During early disease onset, the mdx mouse has been validated as an animal model for DMD and use of this model has led to valuable but incomplete insights into the disease process. For example, immune cells are thought to be responsible for a significant portion of muscle cell death in the mdx mouse; however, the role and time course of the immune response in the dystrophic process have not been well described. In this paper we constructed a simple mathematical model to investigate the role of the immune response in muscle degeneration and subsequent regeneration in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Our model suggests that the immune response contributes substantially to the muscle degeneration and regeneration processes. Furthermore, the analysis of the model predicts that the immune system response oscillates throughout the life of the mice, and the damaged fibers are never completely cleared.
Project description:Molecular and phenotypic characterization of a mouse model of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy reveals severe muscular atrophy restricted to fast glycolytic fibres