Efficacy of gene therapy demonstrated in canine and murine models of myotubular myopathy

A team of French researchers, led by Dr. Anna Buj-Bello (Genethon/Inserm) and teams at the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School in the United States, have demonstrated the efficacy of gene therapy in models of myotubular myopathy, an extremely severe neuromuscular disease in children.

Transfer of the MTM1 gene, which is deficient in the disease, corrected the affected muscles in mice and dogs and prolonged the survival of treated animals. This work, published today in Science Translational Medicine, has been achieved thanks to donations from the French Telethon and the support of the Myotubular Trust.