University of Nevada

Dean Burkin

Ryan Wuebbles

Pam Van Ry

Cherie A Singer

Jachinta E Rooney

Disclosed herein are &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin modulatory agents and methods of using such to treat conditions associated with decreased &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin expression or activity, including muscular dystrophy. In one example, methods for treating a subject with muscular dystrophy are disclosed. The methods include administering an effective amount of an &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin modulatory agent to the subject with muscular dystrophy, wherein the &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin modulatory agent increases &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin expression or activity as compared to &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin expression or activity prior to treatment, thereby treating the subject with muscular dystrophy. Also disclosed are methods of enhancing muscle regeneration, repair, or maintenance in a subject and methods of enhancing &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin expression by use of the disclosed &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin modulatory agents. Methods of prospectively preventing or reducing muscle injury or damage in a subject are also disclosed.

Methods of treating muscular dystrophy

Disclosed herein are methods of treating and diagnosing muscular dystrophy. In some examples, the methods include treating muscular dystrophy by administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent that alters the expression of at least one miR gene product, such as miRNA-124 and/or miRNA-29 thereby treating muscular dystrophy. In one particular example, the method of treatment includes administering an agent that decreases the expression or activity of miRNA-124. In another embodiment, the method of treatment includes administering a composition that includes one or more agents to decrease the expression and/or activity of miRNA-124 and one or more agents to alter the activity of miRNA-29 (increase or decrease). Also disclosed are methods of enhancing muscle regeneration, repair, or maintenance in a subject and methods of enhancing &#x3b1;7&#x3b2;1 integrin expression. Methods of prospectively preventing or reducing muscle injury or damage in a subject are also disclosed.

Methods for enhancing or decreasing the levels of MIR124 and MIR29 in subjects with muscular dystrophy

Disclosed herein are methods for diagnosing, prognosing and treating muscular dystrophy. Also disclosed are methods of determining the effectiveness of an agent for the treatment of muscular dystrophy. Provided are methods of enhancing muscle regeneration, repair, or maintenance in a subject by administering galectin, such as Galectin-1 and/or Galectin-3 to a subject in need thereof. Also disclosed are methods of increasing or maintaining muscle strength and/or bone density in a subject by administering an effective amount of a Galectin-1 composition, Galectin-3 composition or a combination thereof to the subject in need thereof. Methods of preventing, inhibiting and/or reducing muscle loss and/or bone loss in a subject by administering an effective amount of a Galectin-1 composition, Galectin-3 composition or a combination thereof to the subject in need thereof are disclosed.

Methods for diagnosing, prognosing and treating muscular dystrophy

Disclosed herein are methods for diagnosing, prognosing and treating muscular dystrophy. The disclosed methods can be used to diagnosis, prognosis or treat a subject with merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy Type 1A (MDC1A), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), facioscapulohumeral (FHMD), Beckers muscular dystrophy (BMD) or Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Also disclosed are methods of determining the effectiveness of an agent for the treatment of muscular dystrophy. In an example, a method of diagnosing or prognosing a subject with muscular dystrophy includes detecting expression of Galectin-1 or Galectin-3 in a sample obtained from the subject at risk of having or having one or more signs or symptoms associated with muscular dystrophy, thereby diagnosing or prognosing the subject with muscular dystrophy. Also provided are methods of enhancing muscle regeneration, repair, or maintenance in a subject by administering galectin, such as Galectin-1 and/or Galectin-3 to a subject in need thereof.

Methods for treating muscular dystrophy

In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a method of treating a subject using laminin or a composition that includes laminin. In one embodiment, the method is used to enhance muscle regeneration, maintenance, or repair in a subject. In another embodiment, the method is used to promote wound healing. The method, in yet another embodiment, is used to prevent or reduce muscle damage or injury. In specific implementations of these methods, the laminin or composition that includes laminin is administered in a therapeutically effective amount. In some implementations, the laminin is a complete laminin protein. In other implementations, the laminin is a laminin fragment, a laminin derivative, or a laminin analogue.

Growing community of inventors

Sparks, NV, United States of America

Dean Burkin