Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyū no shinpo
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Collagen VI-related muscle disorders include severe Ullrich's disease (Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy:UCMD) and milder Bethlem myopathy. Mutations in the 3 collagen VI genes, namely, COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3, cause both diseases. UCMD is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, and de novo dominant mutations are also reported. ⋯ We evaluated the role of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in UCMD associated with a premature termination codon in the COL6A2 gene, which caused the loss of collagen VI. A pharmacological block of NMD caused upregulation of the mutant collagen VI and partially functional extracellular matrix formation. Cyclosporin A has been reported to correct mitochondrial dysfunction and muscle apoptosis in patients with collagen VI myopathies, and a pilot trial of cyclosporin A was carried out.