Defintion Of Dystrophin Functional Domains According To Exon Boundaries To Optimise Splice Switching Therapies For DMD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$520,765.00
Summary
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a relentlessly progressive muscle wasting disorder, with a predictable outcome and no effective treatment. Splice manipulation has the potential to reduce the severity of the disease, improve the quality of life for patients and reduce health care costs. The definition of dystrophin functional domains according to exon boundaries will allow the most effective treatment strategies for each mutation to be developed.
Regulatory Mechanisms And Roles Of Calpains In Skeletal Muscle
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,813.00
Summary
The objectives are to understand the regulation and roles of calpains, which are proteases that break proteins in the building and repair of skeletal muscle. We will determine targets that calpains cleave and whether their location changes following activation, as well as the cellular factors regulating their activity. In addition, we will obtain information about the specific type of calpain dysfunction that occurs in particular patients with limb girdle muscular dystrophy 2A.
The Role Of Dysferlin In Muscular Dystrophy And Skeletal Muscle Membrane Repair.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,667.00
Summary
Patients who lack the protein dysferlin have muscular dystrophy. These patients are unable to repair their muscle membranes, which get damaged during normal activities. A defect in membrane repair is a new pathway implicated in the muscular dystrophies, and it is likely that other patients will also have defective muscle membrane repair. We will find out how dysferlin mediates its role in membrane repair, and identify other dysferlin-interacting proteins, as these may also underlie disease.
Diagnosing Hereditary Myopathies And Dystrophies With RNA Sequencing: Translating Research Innovations Into Diagnostic Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$279,725.00
Summary
Despite recent advances in genetic testing, more than 50% of patients with hereditary neuromuscular disorders remain undiagnosed. This project aims to apply an alternative and the newest form of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) testing strategy known as transciptome or RNA sequencing to clinical practice to further investigate patients who have remained undiagnosed despite WES and WGS.