Shrinking Genes - MDA Research for DMD Treatment

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The discussion centers on the development of AAV-based gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. The challenge lies in the large size of the full dystrophin gene, which cannot be packaged into an AAV vector. To address this, researcher Jeffrey Chamberlain has created miniaturized versions of the dystrophin gene, known as microdystrophins, which produce smaller proteins. Promising results from studies published in Nature Medicine indicate that these microdystrophins can effectively correct muscle abnormalities in mice lacking dystrophin. The conversation also explores the concept of gene miniaturization, questioning the feasibility of shrinking genes or cellular components, and suggests that the process likely involves removing non-essential elements from the gene structure.
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this is an exerpt from this article: http://www.mdausa.org/publications/Quest/q92resup.cfm#mdasgenetherapy


"Meanwhile, MDA is also laying the groundwork for a clinical trial of AAV-based gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DMD results from any of a number of mutations in a large gene for the muscle protein known as dystrophin. The full-size gene can't be packaged inside an AAV vector.

To overcome this problem, MDA grantee Jeffrey Chamberlain, a molecular biologist at the University of Washington in Seattle, has developed highly miniaturized dystrophin genes that lead to the production of small proteins. Studies using these microdystrophin genes, which were published in the March issue of Nature Medicine, showed extremely promising results in correcting muscle abnormalities in dystrophin-deficient mice."

I'm shocked. I had no idea that genes, or anything of that sort could be shrunken at all, and the way which they say it makes it sound like a relatively easy thing to do. Has anyone ever heard of a process able to shrink down genes, or any other parts of cells? Would it be at all possible to shrink organelles, or perhaps make a virus which would alter the genes of a cell to make everything smaller as a whole when it divides?
 
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So... if I understand correctly basically they got rid of all the introns, enhancer sites that weren't strictly needed, proteins that weren't strictly needed, and a bunch of other redundant junk?

Pretty clever actually.
 
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