News

Cure SMA Releases Online Publication on Research Grantees

The non-profit organization Cure SMA has released the Spring 2015 issue of Compass, its research publication on the organization’s mission and most recent updates. Compass is a newsletter and online publication available for download that intends to increase the knowledge of patients who suffer from…

Over $100,000 Donated for SMA at Muscles for Mckenna Gala

Jim, Mckenna and Amy Ellixson The Annual Muscles for Mckenna Gala was held for the third year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has raised $107,000 in donations to support the non-profit organization Cure SMA. It is still possible to donate to help the organization reach the $115,000 goal, as the funding will finance…

SMA Patient Muscle is Deficient in Mitochondrial Biogenesis

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) exhibit many signs of mitochondrial paucity. Weakened muscles and other pathologic muscle changes are accompanied by decreased levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and decreased levels of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex proteins, such as complex II. Although all signs lead to decreased levels of…

SMA Severity Correlates with DNA Methylation

Patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are subdivided into four categories based on disease severity and age of diagnosis, with type I the most severe and diagnosed in infancy and type IV the least severe and diagnosed in adulthood. It is known that the copy number of SMN2 genes…

Cure SMA Launches New Chapter in Virginia

The nonprofit organization Cure SMA has announced the launch of a new chapter based in Virginia. The new Cure SMA Virginia Chapter will not only serve residents of the state, but also those with the disease and their families in Washington DC. The establishment of the Virginia chapter…

Key Neuromuscular Junction Found To Be Impaired in SMA

Researchers in the Division of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan are looking at ways of modeling spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) using cells derived from SMA patients. In a recent report published in Stem…

Cure SMA Praises Human Tissue Donation Program

The non-profit organization Cure SMA is praising families that donate human tissue from their deceased relatives who suffered from spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), as the donations are crucial for a research program assessing the damage caused by SMA to the nervous systems of patients. The research is dedicated to increasing…

Researcher Awarded $140,000 Cure SMA Basic Research Grant

The non-profit organization Cure SMA has provided a $140,000 research grant to support the development of a project conducted by Chad Heatwole, MD, at the University of Rochester. The project entitled “Development of a Clinically Relevant Outcome Measure for SMA Therapeutic Trials” is supported by the organization’s basic research…