title: Getting to the heart of the matter: exploring opportunities for gene therapy treatment of dystrophic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Muscular dystrophies are broadly classed as skeletal muscle disease entities of genetic origin. Accordingly, the development and application of gene therapy treatment modalities has focused on skeletal muscle gene replacement. Irrespective of this generalization, most forms of dystrophy are accompanied by progressive cardiomyopathy and cardiac involvement in muscular dystrophies is now recognized as an independent risk for patient morbidity. In this review, we summarize the available murine strains most suitable for modeling the dystrophic myocardium and discuss the use of adenoviral based vector systems as the preferred gene delivery vehicle for modulating dystrophic cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Health Research Institute, Molecular Medicine Program Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, University of Ottawa, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 501 Smyth Rd., Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kolodziejczyk
authors.forename: Lynn A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Megeney
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009136:Muscular Dystrophies / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*