(October 27, 2021) Webinar: GSK3 Inhibition and Muscle Wasting Disorders: Muscular Dystrophy and Spaceflight
Overview:
Muscles are vital for everyday life, from every move we make to every beat of the heart. Conditions that lead to muscle wasting can drastically reduce our health and quality of life. This presentation discussed the possibility of inhibiting an enzyme called glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) for the treatment/management of muscular dystrophy and spaceflight.
Without providing too much detail, Dr. Val Fajardo showed his results with tideglusib treatment – a clinically advanced GSK3 inhibitor – on mdx mice. Additionally, he discussed some of their ideas moving forward with spaceflight and how they plan on leveraging new infrastructure.
Objectives:
- The importance of muscle health for overall health
- Glycogen synthase kinase 3 and its role in regulating muscle size and composition
- Calcium regulation in the heart
- Muscular dystrophy
- Spaceflight
About the Speaker (s)
Val Fajardo, Ph.D.
Canada Research Chair in Tissue Remodeling and Plasticity,
Brock University
Val Fajardo is a newly appointed Canada Research Chair in Tissue Remodeling and Plasticity, at Brock University. The DXA imaging capabilities have recently been added to his lab, allowing both body composition and bone mineral content imaging, using the iNSiGHT system. Dr. Fajardo’s research focuses on muscle wasting conditions, as well as muscle metabolism, with a goal of developing clinically relevant therapies, as well as on the discovery and characterization of calcium regulatory proteins.