Gene therapy is the future of treating rare, genetic diseases that were previously thought to have no cure. CRD is breaking down what gene therapy is and how we are using gene therapy to develop therapies for neuromuscular diseases including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy subtypes, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3).

Cure Rare Disease, in partnership with Charles River Laboratories, has successfully created 3 mouse models that harbor the humanized form of the dystrophin gene. Each model has a mutation that causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy that CRD is currently working to treat, meaning they can be utilized for critical in vivo studies to test the safety and efficacy of mutation-specific gene editing therapeutics. The success of this project paves the way for future therapeutics to be developed to treat rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders.

Jessica Curran is a DMD mother to her son Conner, CRD board member as well as a DMD patient advocate.

This past week, Cure Rare Disease’s first therapeutic 一developed using CRISPR technology to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy一began its final stage of testing leading up to dosing this fall. This CRISPR therapeutic will be one of the first of its kind to be delivered systemically to the human body, an accomplishment built on decades of science and research. As we approach this huge milestone in CRD’s mission, we wanted to reflect on the path that has gotten us here today.