FB 19 [18:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is part 2 of our 2009 State of the Disease Podcast for Spinal Muscular Atrophy, where we look back at the scientific advances in SMA research in 2008 and look forward to what might come in 2009.  This two-part series features the co-chairs of Fight SMA’s scientific committee, Alex MacKenzie, M.D. (Director of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute) and Chris Lorson, Ph. D. (Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia).

In part one Alex and Chris discussed three of the research advances they picked as being the most significant in 2008.  In this episode, they  finish that discussion by highlighting the following 2008 findings:

• Exercise promotes motor unit development and survival in mild SMA mice
• A variety of RNA-based therapeutics that are moving in vivo
• SMA Standards of Care
  

We also tackle the future … what might come in 2009 in spinal muscular atrophy research.

If you haven’t listened to part one of this two-parter, it’s strongly suggested you visit this post, and listen there first!

To listen to this episode, you can use the Flash mp3 player above, load the Fighting Back Podcast Feed into your favorite feed reader, subscribe via iTunes or other podcast directories, or simply use the download link above to load the file onto your computer.  If you have feedback, a comment or question, or are interested in having Fighting Back tell your story, please contact page! You can also leave a message in the form of a comment on this blog as well.

Tags: Alex MacKenzie, chris lorson, disease research, sma, spinal muscular atrophy

 FB 18 [14:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

2008 was an important year in spinal muscular atrophy research, as scientists and doctors continued their work to find a treatment or cure for the neuromuscular disease.  This episode of Fighting Back Podcast is the first part of our yearly “look back and look forward”.  This time we look back at 2008 and look forward to 2009 with the co-chairs of Fight SMA’s scientific committee, Alex MacKenzie, M.D. (Director of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute) and Chris Lorson, Ph. D. (Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia).

Before the podcast recording session, Dr. MacKenzie and Dr. Lorson forwarded their lists of what they believe to be the most important scientific findings in SMA research in 2008.  In this episode, we have a spirited discussion of the first three items on the list, including what they are and why they’re important.  The advances discussed in this episode are:

• A non-SMN modifier of disease: Plastin-3 (B. Wirth)
• Muscle vs nerve SMN rescue in SMA mice (A. Burghes)
• Nutritional supplement w/ TSA significantly increases SMA mouse survival (C. Sumner)

(Note: We are efforting links for each of these. Please check back!)

In part 2 of our State of the Disease Podcast for SMA, which will be released next week, we discuss the remaining items on the list, including the role of exercise promoting motor unit survival and the groundbreaking SMA Standards of Care that were released in 2008.  Drs. Mackenzie and Lorson also discuss the important findings they they hope will happen in 2009.

To listen to this episode, you can use the Flash mp3 player above, load the Fighting Back Podcast Feed into your favorite feed reader, subscribe via iTunes or other podcast directories, or simply use the download link above to load the file onto your computer.  If you have feedback, a comment or question, or are interested in having Fighting Back tell your story, please contact page! You can also leave a message in the form of a comment on this blog as well.

Tags: Alex MacKenzie, chris lorson, disease research, sma, spinal muscular atrophy

The American Society of Gene Therapy, or ASGT, has posted abstracts and session details from its recent 11th Annual Meeting. Fight SMA was one of five patient advocacy groups to present at the meeting. The president of the ASGT posted a letter on the organization’s website. Here’s an excerpt:

A final highlight was the outstanding evening symposium presented by a team of five Patient Advocacy Groups. ASGT would like to welcome the ALS Association, Families of SMA, Fight SMA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the SMA Foundation and we hope that our meeting will be the catalyst for productive collaborations between our members and the clinicians and patients your fine groups are representing.

You can read session overviews here, and abstracts here.

Tags: disease research, health, medical, science, sma, spinal muscular atrophy

The year 2007 was an exciting time for a number of reasons, and 2008 looks to be just as eventful. In this new episode of Fighting Back Podcast, we talk with two disease researchers! Dr. Alex MacKenzie is Director of the Research Institute at Children’s Hospital in Ontario. Chris Lorson conducts his research at the University of Missouri in Columbia and is also Fight SMA’s Science Director.

To hear Episode 11 of Fighting Back, you have several options. You can listen using the Flash mp3 player above. Or, if you’re a fan of podcast RSS feeds, you can use the Fighting Back Podcast Feed in your favorite feed reader. If you’re an iTunes user you can subscribe and download via our iTunes store. Finally, you can, of course, download this episode using the link above.

If you have feedback, a comment or question, or are interested in having Fighting Back tell your story, please contact us via the Fight SMA contact page. You can also leave a message in the form of a comment on this blog as well.

Tags: disease research, podcast episode, sma, spinal muscular atrophy