As scientists learn more about what our DNA can tell us about health and disease, public interest has intensified and genetic testing has become increasingly common. In response, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) have released new guidelines to address updated technologies and new uses of genetic testing and screening in children.

Idebenone (under the brand name Catena) in July 2008 received conditional market approval in Canada for the treatment of Friedreich's ataxia (FA). Now, based on additional data that fails to confirm that treatment with Catena is beneficial in FA, Santhera Pharmaceuticals has announced it will discontinue sales of the drug April 30, 2013.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded 44 new grants totaling $13.6 million to advance the understanding and treatment of neuromuscular diseases. The new grants, most of which took effect Feb. 1, encompass a range of diseases covered by MDA’s research program, and they support innovative approaches to basic research and new drug development.

In addition to addressing 16 specific neuromuscular diseases under MDA’s umbrella, the grants also fund research into muscular dystrophy in general, and research into muscle physiology related to neuromuscular disease.

Mice with a disorder resembling the type 1B form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) benefited from treatment with either of two forms of oral curcumin, a component of the spice turmeric, according to researchers supported in part by MDA.

Edison Pharmaceuticals has launched a phase 2b clinical trial of its experimental drug EPI-743 in adults with Friedreich's ataxia (FA) to assess whether the drug has positive effects on visual function, neurological and neuromuscular function, and disease-associated biomarkers.

Payton Mueller's parent knew something was amiss by the time he was 9 months old.

Edison Pharmaceuticals has announced it is conducting a clinical trial of its experimental drug EPI-743 in children with the mitochondrial myopathyLeigh syndrome, and is planning a trial of this compound in Friedreich's ataxia (FA).

As an energetic youngster in Menlo Park, Calif., Joe Wise’s favorite sports were baseball and football. Once he developed allergies and asthma, though, his mom, Marie, insisted that he add swimming to his athletic pursuits to improve his health.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded 33 new grants totaling $10,684,481 to fund research projects focused on uncovering the causes of, and developing therapies for, neuromuscular disease.

MDA's Board of Directors reviewed and approved the new grants based on recommendations from the Association's Scientific and Medical Advisory Committees, and the grants took effect Aug. 1.

Human cells treated with engineered transcription activation-like effector (TALE) proteins produced two to three times more frataxin protein than did control cells, a team of researchers has reported.