California’s stem cell agency funds the potential gene editing DMD therapy
SACRAMENTO, CA – UC Davis Professor Aijun Wang and his team are collaborating with Murthy laboratory at UC Berkeley to develop a much-needed cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). They are designing a therapy to treat DMD before birth by editing the gene that encodes dystrophin, a key protein in stabilizing muscle fiber.
“We are developing a gene editing therapy that would allow pregnant mothers to give birth to children who are free from DMD,” said Wang, professor of surgery and biomedical engineering. Wang is the vice chair for translational research, innovation and entrepreneurship at the Department of Surgery and co-directs the Center for Surgical Bioengineering at UC Davis. He also leads the Wang Lab, a prime research hub in stem cell therapy and gene editing for early treatments of birth defects such as spina bifida.
This groundbreaking work is funded by a $2 million Quest Award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The DISC-2 Quest Awards Program promotes the discovery of promising new stem cell-based and gene therapy technologies that could lead to broad use and improved patient care.