Chemical may protect MD patients' hearts

MINNEAPOLIS, March 18 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists say they've discovered a molecular chemical might help protect the hearts of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

The University of Minnesota Medical School researchers said the chemical -- which they've nicknamed a "molecular Band-aid" -- seeks out tiny cuts in diseased heart muscle. When injected into the bloodstream, the chemical finds microscopic cuts and protects them from harmful substances so the heart muscle cells can survive and function normally.

The researchers said the chemical must be repeatedly injected, much in the same way a diabetic patient requires regular injections of insulin,

The study, which involved dystrophic lab dogs, showed the treatment completely blocked cardiac injury and heart disease remodeling compared to the control group of dystrophic canines receiving a placebo.

"The advance in this study is demonstrating that molecular Band-aid therapy is a safe and effective approach in preventing heart damage in severely affected large animals with muscular dystrophy," Professor Joseph Metzger, who led the research, said.

The scientists said their next major step is to determine whether children with muscular dystrophy can be helped by applying the molecular bandage.

Metzger, Assistant Professor DeWayne Townsend and colleagues said they speculate certain types of heart damage that occur as part of aging might also some day benefit from molecular bandage therapy.

The research appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.