Regeneron researchers are at the forefront of discovery for muscle disorders

[Guest guest]

Regeneron researchers are at the forefront of discovery for muscle

disorders.

(Note: Regeneron supplied the NT-3 for the first human trials of use

in CMT about 5-6 years ago)

http://www.regeneron.com/muscle.html

Skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the body by mass and

provides force generation and mobility. Muscle plays a highly-

specialized role in assisting in the regulation of the body's

metabolism and is a key target of insulin. Consequently, diseases

that affect muscle function can have severe and broad effects.

Many different medical conditions and their treatments contribute to

loss of muscle mass or atrophy, including:

Deteriorating nerve function

Immobilization or prolonged bed rest

Glucocorticoid drugs

The wasting associated with AIDs and cancer cachexia

Sarcopenia, the normal atrophy that accompanies aging, also promotes

debilitating frailty in many older patients

In all of these settings, patients often have few therapeutic

choices to prevent muscle loss. Multidisciplinary teams of Regeneron

scientists are working together to discover new potential therapies

to treat or cure muscle disorders.

Cellular Signals Mediate Balance Between Muscle Hypertrophy and

Atrophy

Muscle size is maintained by the delicate balance between two

processes that:

Promote muscle growth (hypertrophy) by increasing protein synthesis

Cause muscle atrophy by initiating protein breakdown

The cellular signals in muscle tissue that initiate muscle protein

synthesis and breakdown are only now beginning to be understood.

Regeneron scientists have identified both the key cellular proteins

that mediate the muscle growth process, and also proteins required

for muscle atrophy.

Based on these advances, Regeneron is developing a number of novel

therapeutic candidates to inhibit muscle atrophy, including

VelocImmune® fully-human monoclonal antibodies and other therapeutic

proteins. These molecules also show promise in laboratory

experiments in correcting imbalances of metabolism, such as the

insulin resistance that characterizes diabetes.