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. 2010 Sep 25;40(10):902–908. doi: 10.1007/s00595-009-4242-z

Myoblast transplantation: A possible surgical treatment for a severe pediatric disease

Beniamino Palmieri 1,✉, Jacques P Tremblay 2
PMCID: PMC7087795  PMID: 20872191

Abstract

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic X-linked recessive orphan disease that affects approximately 1 in 3 500 male births. Boys with DMD have progressive and predictable muscle destruction due to the absence of dystrophin, a protein present under the muscle fiber membrane. This absence induces contraction-related membrane damage and activation of inflammatory necrosis and fibrosis, leading to cardiac/diaphragmatic failure and death. The authors support the therapeutic role of myoblast transplantation in DMD, and describe the history and rationale for such an approach.

Key words: Myoblast, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Exon skipping, Tacrolimus, Cyclosporine

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