Muscular Dystrophy UK funds diet supplement study

Rita Horvath, professor of neurogenetics at the University of Cambridge has received funding from Muscular Dystrophy UK

Funding has been allocated to test if a dietary supplement could be used as a new treatment for people with mitochondrial myopathies.

Muscular Dystrophy UK will invest £1.7m into 12 new research projects across England and Scotland, including at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Rita Horvath and her team from the university hoped their results could change clinical practice and benefit translational research and clinical trials.

Dr Kate Adcock, director of research and innovation at Muscular Dystrophy UK said the charity wanted to fund the highest quality research that would help "improve the lives of people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions".

Diets will be supplemented with with higher doses of specific amino acids

The charity funds projects aiming to improve diagnosis, monitor progression, and test potential new treatments.

Professor Horvath's research will assess if supplementing the diets of people with mt–aaRS with higher doses of specific amino acids will lead to improvements in their symptoms.

The professor of neurogenetics at the University of Cambridge said if successful, "it will immediately change the management of these patients in the UK, and internationally".

She added: "We will perform further studies to optimise the dose and administration, but amino acids are cheap and considered to be food supplements. They can therefore easily be given to patients even on the NHS.

“In the long term, our results can change the clinical practice of some mitochondrial diseases and will benefit translational research and clinical trials in other mitochondrial and neuromuscular disorders.”

The research programme at the univeristy is expected to last 36 months and will cost £224,832.

Dr Adcock, said the charity was delighted to be funding the research.

“Every year at Muscular Dystrophy UK, we look to fund the highest quality research that will not only bring research forward but also improve the lives of people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions," Dr Adcock said.