NIH awards UF $7.5M for muscular dystrophy research
The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville with $7.5 million in funding to study the use of MRI in determining the natural progression of Duchenne muscular dystrophy in children.
The study-which will be led by Krista Vandenborne, PhD, an associate dean for research and planning at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions and chair of the department of physical therapy-will be funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
According to Vandenborne, UF researchers will assess whether MRI technology can be used as a precise, noninvasive measure of muscle tissue in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and provide researchers with rapid feedback about potential new drugs and treatments.
The multi-site study will conduct MRI measurements of muscle in 100 boys between the ages of five to 11 who have the condition over a five-year study period.
"The lack of a reliable assessment tool for measuring muscle function in patients with Duchenne inhibits the transfer of new therapies from the lab to clinical trials," explained Vandenborne. "MRI allows you to look at the structure of a muscle tissue in a very objective way with a large amount of detail.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects about one of every 3,500 to 5,000 boys born each year in the U.S.
The study-which will be led by Krista Vandenborne, PhD, an associate dean for research and planning at the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions and chair of the department of physical therapy-will be funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
According to Vandenborne, UF researchers will assess whether MRI technology can be used as a precise, noninvasive measure of muscle tissue in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and provide researchers with rapid feedback about potential new drugs and treatments.
The multi-site study will conduct MRI measurements of muscle in 100 boys between the ages of five to 11 who have the condition over a five-year study period.
"The lack of a reliable assessment tool for measuring muscle function in patients with Duchenne inhibits the transfer of new therapies from the lab to clinical trials," explained Vandenborne. "MRI allows you to look at the structure of a muscle tissue in a very objective way with a large amount of detail.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Duchenne muscular dystrophy affects about one of every 3,500 to 5,000 boys born each year in the U.S.