Enzyme protein neutrophil elastase may be key contributor to development of muscular dystrophy

Enzyme protein neutrophil elastase may be key contributor to development of muscular dystrophy: "Scientists at the University of Liverpool have discovered that muscle cells affected by muscular dystrophy contain high levels of an enzyme that impairs muscle repair. This finding provides a new target for potential drug treatments for the disease, which currently has no cure.

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is an inherited genetic condition that gradually causes a weakening of muscles. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common, and one of the most severe types, of the disease. There are around 2,500 people in the UK living with DMD, which usually affects boys in early childhood and leads to progressively worsening disability and premature death.

In DMD, the stem cells that normally repair damaged muscle are impaired, for reasons that remain unclear. In this new study, published in Scientific Reports, researchers looked at the molecular composition of the environment within which these muscle stem cells are found, to investigate whether this could be responsible for impaired function."



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