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August 2006
Research News Pass it along! |
Labor Day Telethon Airs From
Las Vegas
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Jerry Lewis at the 2005 MDA Labor Day Telethon |
The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon is right around the corner, and it’s back in Las Vegas after 12 years in Hollywood. The legendary show, now in its 41st year, will originate from the South Coast Hotel in Las Vegas for the first time.
The 2006 Telethon is expected to reach some 50 million viewers via 190 MDA "Love Network" stations nationwide and will be available to millions more worldwide on the Internet.
You can find your local station and start time on the MDA Web site. You will also be able to watch the show and make a secure pledge online.
Along with spectacular entertainers, the Telethon will feature video profiles of families affected by neuromuscular diseases. You’ll see MDA National Goodwill Ambassador Luke Christie of Due West, S.C., who has type 2 spinal muscular atrophy, and Augie and Lynne Nieto of Corona del Mar, Calif., co-chairpersons of MDA’s ALS Division. In addition, a youngster receiving the new lifesaving Pompe’s disease treatment and the first boy in the new Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy trial will be on the national show.
Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? Get a head start, and use a major credit card to make your secure Telethon pledge on the MDA Web site. Make an early donation, and help “Jerry’s kids.” |
MDA National Chairman Jerry Lewis has dedicated the show to Robert Ross, MDA’s longtime chief executive who died in June.
Lewis will be assisted by MDA Board member Ed McMahon, who returns for his 39th year as anchor, and co-hosts Jann Carl, Tom Bergeron, Norm Crosby and Bob Zany. MDA National Youth Chairman Billy Gilman will host several segments and perform songs from his new album, “Billy Gilman.”
The Telethon also will help commemorate two anniversaries – MDA’s 25-year partnership with DECA, and ERA Real Estate’s 30th year as an MDA sponsor.
Weinberg Named President, Elected to the Board
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Gerald C. Weinberg |
Gerald C. Weinberg of Tucson, Ariz., was elected to the Board of Directors and named MDA’s President & CEO during the Association’s annual meeting in Los Angeles.
Lois R. West of Hilton Head, S.C., was named to a second one-year
term as chairman of the Board. Other re-elected officers include:
Robert M. Bennett of Los Angeles, chairman of the Executive Committee;
Suzanne Lowden of Las Vegas, treasurer; and Timmi Masters of Beverly
Hills, secretary.
‘Wings’ Fund-Raiser Takes Flight in September
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MDA’s sixth annual Wings Over Wall Street gala will be held Sept. 28 at the New York Marriott Marquis. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $5 million for MDA’s ALS research efforts at MDA/ALS centers in New York and Baltimore.
MDA’s New Web Design Cleaner, Easier to Navigate
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MDA’s new and improved Web site offers a bright, streamlined look, as well as easier access to vital information.
The site features a quick link to ways to help and donate. Visitors can make donations from virtually any section, or explore MDA’s donation programs and volunteer and sponsorship opportunities.
RESEARCH NEWS
Gene Transfer Corrects Myotonic MD in Mice
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MDA-supported researchers used gene transfer to restore molecular and muscle function in mice carrying the genetic flaw found in type 1 myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD).
Researchers injected genes for a needed protein into the leg muscles of the affected mice, and their myotonia, or inability to relax muscles, was corrected.
Gene Therapy Improves Life Span, Muscle Function in Mice with MD
MDA-supported scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle administered new genes for a missing protein in mice with a disease similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the leading childhood form of MD. The injection of miniaturized genes for the missing protein, dystrophin, significantly improved their well-being and life span.
Muscle Stem Cells Show Promise for DMD
Researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston injected muscle-derived stem cells containing genes for the missing protein dystrophin into mice with a disease resembling Duchenne MD. The mice that received the injection in a major leg artery produced more dystrophin than mice that received injections in a vein.
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Drug Combinations to be Tested in ALS
A clinical trial that will test two drug combinations — minocycline with creatine, and celecoxib (Celebrex) with creatine — will open soon at about 20 U.S. centers. Both combinations have shown promise in mouse models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) and could lead to a potential treatment.
Stem Cells Restore Movement in Paralyzed Rats
A research team including MDA grantees at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore has restored nerve-to-muscle connections and movement in the back legs of paralyzed rats.
The study could open the door to similar techniques that may be useful in treating ALS and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
MDA and FARA to Accelerate Friedreich’s Ataxia Research
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MDA and the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) have agreed to accelerate their joint effort to move leading therapeutic approaches for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) into the clinic within the next year.
MDA has earmarked $100,000 for the collaborative effort to develop
drugs for human trials.
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