Neurology
Summary of Research
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and severe progressive muscular dystrophy to affect children. It is X-linked so 1/3500 boy will be affected while girls are carriers. Boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) do not make normal dystrophin and their muscles weaken over time. Dystrophin is a protein that provides strength and stability to muscles. Dr. Tseng's laboratory investigates the mdx mouse, a genetic model of human DMD, which lacks the same dystrophin protein but is able to resist the crippling features of muscular dystrophy.
Although under a microscope, some of their muscles look abnormal like boys with DMD, these mice do not lose the ability to walk or even run. It is possible that other genes are somehow helping muscles to remain viable despite the lack of dystrophin. One major goal is to elucidate the differential underpinnings in the mdx mouse skeletal muscle (from lab-bench) and exploit such knowledge to translate into better understanding and novel therapeutics for human muscular dystrophies (at the bedside). Current techniques employed in the lab include: microarrays, bioinformatics tools, transgenic mouse technology, PCR, RNA/DNA/protein electrophoresis, immunoflourescence, confocal microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, high-throughput screening and many others.
Contact information
Research Office Lab
MGH East, CNY Building 114
Phone: 617-643-4814
Fax: 617-643-0141
http://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/tsenglab/
Administrative Office
Department of Neurology
Division of Child Neurology
Wang Ambulatory Care Center WAC 708
Parkman Drive
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-3402
Fax: 617-724-7860
Clinical office
Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinic at MGH for Children (held on TUES mornings)
165 Cambridge St. Suite 820
Boston MA 02114
Phone: 617-643-2085
Fax: 617-726-2985
