Common virus powers muscular dystrophy treatment

COLUMBIA, Missouri (WPVI) -- More than 250-thousand people in the U.S. live with muscular dystrophy.

But a new type of gene therapy tested in dogs at the University of Missouri is offering hope for future treatments in children.

It is for Duchenne muscular dystrophy,

Like humans, dogs can develop Duchenne M-D, the most common form of M-D.

"The disease is a muscle disease you have to deliver therapeutic gene to every muscle is a gigantic task," says Dongsheng Duan, the lead research at the UM School of Medicine.

Duchenne occurs when a gene mutation disrupts the production of a protein known as dystrophin.

Without this protein, boys like 10-year-old Mark McDonald lose muscle function

At the University of Missouri School of Medicine, research teams created at corrected version of the gene, then use a common virus to deliver the therapy to every muscle in the body.

Bob McDonald says his darkest day was when his son was diagnosed, but these test results bring him hope.

"You have to not just hope but you have to have optimism," says McDonald.

"Dr. Duan gives us that," he continued.

Duan and the University of Missouri received a 3 million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health to continue the research.

The human clinical trials will begin within the next few years.

The technology used to create the gene-therapy has been licensed by Solid Ventures, LLC.