How A "Superbaby" Is Helping To Find Muscular Dystrophy Treatments

An anonymous reader writes to tell us that a baby boy with unusually big muscles — caused by a gene mutation — is helping scientists to discover new muscular dystrophy drugs. "Myostatin was discovered in mice in 1992 in Lee's Johns Hopkins lab. In 1996 he proved its importance by showing that mice without the myostatin-producing gene got twice as big. The next year he discovered that the bulging Belgian Blue cow was a myostatin mutant, the first of eight prized cattle breeds later found to have the mutation. The company he had co-founded, MetaMorphix, is working on manipulating myostatin to beef up livestock. Wyeth picked up the rights to develop a drug for humans. Its experimental antibody drug produced bulked-up mice in 2002, and results of a trial in adults with muscular dystrophy are expected as early as March."

Muscles are attractive

[kestasjk]

Muscles are attractive, but these days muscles aren't more likely to increase the survival of your children, so how long might it take until they're no longer found attractive? You could argue that they might even be an unnecessary waste of resources, so might their attractiveness diminish?

(Cue the /. jokes..)

Re:Cool, but no silver bullet.

[garcia]

But would it be a "silver bullet" (I keep imagining a Vampire drinking a Coors Light) for those that are treated early?

I bow down to the new super baby overlord

[spicydragonz]

coochee-coo - please don't squeeze my hand into mashed pulp.

Re:Muscles are attractive

[fishthegeek]

You could argue that they might even be an unnecessary waste of resources

You must be an MCSE.

At last!

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

When he grows up, that baby might be the one who'll finally be able to take on Chuck Norris [chucknorrisfacts.com].

Superbaby

[Wiarumas]

I, for one, welcome our new superbaby overlord.