Bern spin-out Synthena drives promising clinical trials into duchenne muscular dystrophy.

An international consortium of researchers spearheaded by Bern University spin-out Synthena is offering new hope to duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) sufferers.

DMD affects up to 1 in 3,500 newborns. The disease causes muscle degeneration, with most patients wheelchair bound by 10 years of age and a life expectancy of less than 30 years.

Currently, there is no cure for the condition, but a consortium of researchers from France, England, Sweden, and Bern University have developed a promising candidate to treat the condition. Focusing on correcting the genetic defect which causes DMD, initial tests in mice have shown improved function in all muscles, including the heart and lungs – two of the major organs responsible for DMD deaths after shutting down.

Synthena, founded in 2012 by Bern University, is now planning for human trials. Should the trials prove a success, not only could the treatment give new life to DMD patients, but could also be significant for other neuromuscular diseases like Huntington’s disease or spinal atrophy.