Marta Figueiredo, PhD,  science writer—

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach can optimize pretreatment evaluations and improve the dosing process for Spinraza (nusinersen) in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a U.S. study shows. This approach, which also used computer simulations to optimize treatment schedules and reduce missed treatments, improved anesthetic methods and minimized complications associated with treatment…

Targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) — a powerful genetics method that can identify mutations in several genes simultaneously — may help diagnose people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)-like symptoms who do not carry SMA-causative mutations, a Japanese study shows. This low-cost, non-invasive, fast, and efficient approach might be…

Risdiplam significantly improves motor function in pediatric and young adult patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) types 2 and 3, according to interim data from the SUNFISH trial. “The positive outcome of this trial is an important milestone for people with type 2 or 3 SMA, too many of whom…

A mutation in the KIF5A gene, found in four Spanish siblings, causes a rare form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) known as adult-onset distal SMA (DSMA), according to a case report. DSMA mainly affects the distal muscles, or those further from the center of the body. The report, “…

Deficits in the secretion of a protein called CTRP3 by muscle cells contribute to the significantly lower survival motor neuron (SMN) protein levels observed in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a mouse study suggests. These findings indicate that restoring CTRP3 levels in people with SMA could potentially increase SMN…

Adhering to a low-fat diet may be beneficial for people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a mouse study suggests. Mice fed on low-fat diets lived longer, and showed reduced liver damage and lower reliance on fat as an energy source, according to preliminary findings. Additional clinical studies are still…

Levels of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein — which are significantly low in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients — naturally rise during gestation and then fall in the three months before and after birth, highlighting a critical window for treating SMA that runs up to the first three months of…

Spinraza (nusinersen) improves or stabilizes motor and lung functions in adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3, an observational German study suggests. The findings, which are significant compared with the disease’s natural history, need to be further confirmed in larger real-world studies, the researcher said. The study, “…

Risdiplam continues to show promise as a safe and effective therapy for people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) types 1, 2 and 3, according to the latest results from ongoing clinical trials. Data from the FIREFISH (NCT02913482), SUNFISH (NCT02908685), and JEWELFISH (NCT03032172) clinical trials were presented at the…

Chinese researchers have developed a fast, low-cost, and non-invasive maternal blood test for prenatal screening of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This method may be a safer alternative to traditional invasive prenatal screenings for families with a history of SMA and other high-risk populations, with the ability to identify affected…