Doctor claims DNA treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

                Yomiuri Shimbun

                A professor of Kobe University's School of Medicine on Wednesday said that he had successfully treated Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) through the use of DNA, which encourages production of a protein necessary to move muscle. After the new treatment was given to a 10-year-old boy suffering from DMD, the professor said he found messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is   required to produce the protein dystrophin in the boy's body. Matsuo added that it was certain that dystrophin would also be produced in his body. The new therapy has the potential to delay the progression of the disease, Matsuo said. DMD is a genetic disease that renders victims incapable of moving their  muscles. It is found only among boys, mostly between the ages of 4 and 5 years old. The disease occurs in one in 3,500 boys. To produce dystrophin, mRNA is required. But because of a lack of part of  mRNA's base sequences, DMD patients cannot produce the protein.   Matsuo drip-fed synthetic DNA that adjusts the deficient mRNA's base sequences, once a week, four times between Oct. 29 and Nov. 19. The doctor discovered complete mRNA on Nov. 5. He said he examined whether dystrophyn was produced in the boy's muscle on Wednesday last week and the result of the test would be available within this month. But according to Matsuo, the therapy was only to convert DMD into milderBecker's muscular dystrophy and is not considered as a breakthrough treatment so far.