Collagen VI-related muscular dystrophy is caused by genetic changes. These changes cause the collagen VI protein to not work as it should, leading to damage to muscles. Professor Zhou and team have already identified potential treatments which can help correct the two most common genetic changes. However, they have found it difficult to deliver these potential treatments to the right place in the body, where collagen VI protein is made in muscle. If the treatment isn’t delivered to the right place, it won’t work properly, and it may build up in unwanted areas of the body where it could do damage.
The team have recently identified molecules called peptides that specifically bind to muscle cells (muscle interstitial fibroblasts) where collagen VI is made. These peptides can be thought of as targeting systems, which only lock onto these specific muscle cells. Linking these peptides to the potential treatments could help deliver the treatments to the right cells and ultimately help treat collagen VI-related muscular dystrophy.
