Identify new treatments for Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

About the project:

The aim of this project is to discover new therapies for the treatment of a muscle disease called Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). FSHD is a genetic condition in which muscles in the face, shoulders and arms progressively weaken and even waste away.  

In our laboratory we generate models of bioengineered skeletal muscle from stem cells. These models act and function like the muscle in your body, giving us the ability to measure important properties like muscle strength and endurance. This project will perform sequential drug screens on a novel human model of FSHD to identify new therapies to improve muscle function in FSHD patients.  

Lead researcher: A/Prof Richard Mills

Investigators: Dr Peter Houweling, A/Prof Andy Philp, Dr Ian Woodcock

Tissue of interest: Muscle

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