Author Archives: Marisa Wexler MS

Most children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) given the gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) retain motor function that exceeds what’s normally seen in untreated disease, according to a new analysis. In fact, a significant number of children who received the approved gene therapy were found to achieve…

Some videos on YouTube, particularly in-depth ones made by healthcare professionals, provide high-quality and reliable information about treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a new study highlights. But many of the examined videos concerning SMA treatments are neither high quality nor reliable, the researchers found, adding importance to…

In people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have been on long-term treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen), levels of the protein tau in the spinal fluid are decreased, a new study indicates. The findings imply that measuring levels of tau might be a useful marker for predicting the…

A new computational tool developed by Pacific Biosciences can identify genetic mutations that cause spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with high accuracy and could help identify “silent carriers” who aren’t detected by current tests, a new study reports. The study, “Comprehensive SMN1 and SMN2 profiling…

Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), coupled with early access to disease-modifying therapies, can improve the likelihood that children with the disease will be able to walk, a new study suggests. Also, fewer patients in the newborn screening group tended to require ventilatory or feeding…

Treatment with the muscle strengthener pyridostigmine may reduce patient-reported fatigue among people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), results from a small clinical trial suggest. Still, the treatment failed to ease motor fatigue and improve motor function compared with a placebo — which were the main goals of…

The team at SMA News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest developments in treatment and advancements in research related to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in 2022. We look forward to continuing to serve the SMA community in the new year. Here we’ve compiled a list…

A man in Brazil was found to have an exceptionally rare form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — called SMA with lower extremity predominance, or SMA-LED — caused by a mutation in the TBK1 gene, as described in a new case report. Mutations in the TBK1 gene…

A technique called bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) can be used to measure body composition in people with type 2 or 3 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a new study reports. The study, “A comparative analysis of body composition assessment by BIA and DXA in children with…

There are more than 1,200 people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) living in Italy, and the vast majority are on disease-modifying treatment, according to a new study. SMA types 2 and 3 are the most common forms of the disease in the country, but the…