Urolithin A shows effective against muscular dystrophy

Credit: © Amazentis / EPFL Auwerx Lab
Progression of Duchenne Muscle Dystrophy (DMD) can be delayed in mice by supplementing their diets with Urolithin A, according to new results reported today. The findings, published in
Science Translational Medicine, raise hopes that new treatment options could one-day be developed for DMD, an uncurable genetic condition characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. About 1 in 3,500 boys are born with DMD, which usually develops in childhood and significantly reduces life expectancy.
The new research carried out at the laboratory of Professor Johan Auwerx, MD, PhD at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology EPFL and the University of Lausanne in collaboration with scientists at the Swiss life science company Amazentis, highlights the important role that defective mitochondria can play in DMD. The powerhouses of cells, mitochondria produce the energy necessary for normal muscle function. But muscle cells taken from both human DMD patients and from mice bred to mimic the condition show significant defects in mitochondrial activity, the study finds. Specifically, patterns of gene expression show the development of DMD is associated with a marked decrease in mitophagy - the process cells rely on to remove and recycle defective mitochondria and maintain energy levels high.

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