Projects

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle wasting disease that affects young boys and rapidly renders their muscles dysfunctional. By studying this disease in a porcine model, we will be able to develop relevant treatments and assist those affected.

 

Heat stress negatively affects animal production and welfare. In the U.S. swine industry is approaching a $1 billion loss annually due to heat stress related disease and death. One reason for this economic loss is reduced muscle mass and increased adipose tissues resulting in decreased meat value. Gaining this mechanistic understanding of heat stress is necessary for the development of therapies to protect human patients from injury as well as maintain efficient meat production in an agricultural setting. 

  • HS

    Heat stress negatively impacts skeletal muscle physiology and growth. Aside from cooling there is little in the way of countermeasures to treat heat stressed organisms. 

  • BMD

    We are exploring the role of dysfunction autophagy in disease progression as well as how disease progression may be impacted by obesity and insulin resistance. We also recognize that there are limitations to existing dystrophinopathy animal models that hinder therapy development. To address this critical need we are developing a novel porcine dystrophinopathy model.