The coupling of neurons, skeletal muscle fibers and tendons is essential for voluntary movements of the human body.
Skeletal muscle research focuses on mechanisms that regulate muscle formation in the embryo, structure/function relationships, degeneration and regeneration. Researchers also investigate the impact of nutrition, hormones and exercise on muscle size and strength. New therapies are developed and tested for curing or slowing the progression of genetic disorders that directly affect muscle (muscular dystrophy, metabolic myopathies), neuromuscular disorders (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis) and age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), among others.
PCOM researchers study the effects of inherited mutations leading to spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy and interventions that may reduce the progression of muscle weakness. Other researchers focus on skeletal muscle-like cells called myofibroblasts whose contractions facilitate wound closure, but in the eye, may distort tissue architecture and affect vision. A third area of research involves testing a nutritional supplement for building muscle strength.
PCOM medical student David Garcia-Castro (DO/PhD '23) defended his doctoral research dissertation on potential therapeutics for spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA or Kennedy's Disease).
PCOM Georgia PT students Allison Pickron and Jocilyn Yarnell discuss their research into the iliocapsularis, a variant hip flexor muscle found only in some people.
Working with Temple University faculty, Arielle Roberts (DO '21) studied methods to restore neural pathways for bladder muscle function following spinal cord injuries.
PCOM's Heather Montie, PhD, Landed an NIH grant to gain understanding of rare genetic disorders of the spinal cord through zebrafish models.
Montie and Garcia Castro find increasing the SIRT3 protein and inhibiting PARPs improves the motor endurance of mice modeling SBMA.
PCOM aims to develop innovative approaches to promoting health through basic, translational, clinical, behavioral, education and community research projects.
