Drug Blocks Lethal Motor-neuron Disease In Mice

... Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor-neuron disease caused by mutations in the gene SMN1 that prevent it producing the protein SMN. New research shows that in a lethal mouse model of SMA the drug trichostatin A (TSA), which is a hydroxamic acid HDAC inhibitor, can improve survival and attenuate disease, indicating that hydroxamic acid HDAC inhibitors might be potential therapeutics for the treatment of individuals with SMA. ...