Transcript How scientists are developing ways to help children with muscular

How scientists are developing
ways to help children with
muscular diseases
By Antonio
Scientists at the duke university medical centre discovered
certain compounds or elements that could lead to promising
new treatments for degenerative nerve diseases, such as
Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s
disease.
Misfolded proteins in nerve cells (neurons) are a common
factor in all of these diseases.
These new compounds improve a cell’s ability to properly
“fold” proteins.
It activates a master regulator to increase the supply of
molecules that help fold proteins properly.
The scientists further explored one of the candidate molecules
Heat Shock Factor 1 (HSF1), to learn whether it would work in
model systems of Huntington’s disease, a devastating
neurodegenerative disease of protein misfolding.
They were able to show that the molecule stimulated protein
chaperones in cells in an animal system.
People with muscular dystrophy are treated
with adult stem cells which are put into the
diseased peoples bodies.