Ottawa Hospital Research Institute discovers how proteins can “hitch a ride” on exosomes – making way for novel treatment options for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Defeat Duchenne Canada congratulates the researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa who announced today that they have discovered a code within the Wnt7a protein which allows it to attach to exosomes (tiny sacs that carry proteins, DNA, and RNA from one cell to another throughout the body). The Wnt7a protein is particularly important as a potential treatment target for Duchenne muscular dystrophy as, among many other roles, it counteracts muscle wasting. Until now, use of Wnt7a as a potential treatment was limited due to its inability to be delivered effectively throughout the body.
“Proteins are the body’s own home-made drugs, but they don’t necessarily travel well around the body.”
Dr. Michael Rudnicki, Director of the Regenerative Medicine Program at The Ottawa Hospital and Professor at the University of Ottawa
“Now that we know how Wnt7a attaches to exosomes, we have solved this problem and can now accelerate the development of drugs for devastating diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.”
Dr. Uxia Gurriaran-Rodriguez, co-author from Center for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE) in Spain and former postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Rudnicki’s group.
“We at Defeat Duchenne Canada are proud to have supported this important research. We have a long history of working with Dr. Rudnicki’s group, who received some of our very first research grants. We are pleased to continue to support his important work.”
Lisa McCoy, CEO of Defeat Duchenne Canada
Join us on Thursday, December 19 at 1pm when Dr. Michael Rudnicki will tell us more about this important research and the impact it will have on developing new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Want to know more about Duchenne Research?
Scientists and medical experts have been tirelessly pursuing diverse approaches to defeat Duchenne muscular dystrophy. From tackling the root cause to alleviating symptoms, the field of research is vast and promising. Explore the various strategies being developed and tested, and gain insights into the future of muscular dystrophy treatment: