Junior research award for neuromuscular diseases goes to Dr. Jana Zschüntzsch awarded

16.03.2013 19:14

Temmler Pharma donates the Junior Research Prize of the German Society for Muscular Patients (DGM)

At the 49th annual meeting of the German Society for Muscular Diseases (DGM), the Junior Research Prize was awarded to Dr. Jana Zschüntzsch from the University of Göttingen for her work on the topic:
“Explanation for the lack of effect of immunotherapy in sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM): Quantitative assessment of inflammation and β-amyloid in skeletal muscle,” awarded.

The prize, worth €2,500, is donated by Temmler Pharma and is being awarded for the ninth time. By awarding the Junior Research Prize, Temmler Pharma is making a decisive contribution to research into these and other rare diseases that are often neglected due to low patient numbers.

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is a chronic progressive inflammatory muscle disease that leads to muscle weakness and wasting of muscles near and far from the trunk. In sIBM, on the one hand, there is a specific, auto-reactive inflammation in the muscle. It is still unclear why the classic immunosuppressive or immunomodulating drugs such as prednisolone (PRED) or intravenous immunoglobulins (IgG) cannot stop the progression of the disease, even though the inflammatory mechanisms are clear.

In the present study of 10 patients with sIBM, the expression of chemokines, cytokines, co-stimulatory and degeneration-associated molecules before and after 3 months of treatment with IgG or IgG+PRED was analyzed using quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. In summary, a reduction of some essential inflammatory mediators by IgG or IgG+PRED could be demonstrated both in patient muscle and in the cell culture model. However, both myotoxicity molecules and cell stress mediators such as NO remained unaffected. The data thus offer an explanation for the inadequate effect of immunotherapy drugs in sIBM and may help to develop better therapeutic approaches in the future.

Scientists can also apply for the research prize in 2014. External nominations are also possible. The assessment of named services is carried out by the board of the DGM.
Please send applications to:
German Society for Muscular Patients
In the moss 4
79112 Freiburg