New collaboration in progress
Our new collaboration with Dr. Hiroaki Mitshuhashi of Tokai University in Tokyo, Japan is moving forward. Together, we will be examining how aberrant expression of the DUX4 protein may lead to pathology in FSHD.
Dr. Homma presents at FSHD Conference
Our colleague, Dr. Sachiko Homma presented her work on DUX4 structure and pathogenesis at the FSHD International Conference. Co-authors were our MGH colleague, Dr. Rick Boyce, and Jeff
Abstract for FSHD Conference
We have submitted an abstract for presentation at the FSHD International Consortium conference to be held in Boston on October 5-6.
Two abstracts for Ottawa meeting
Our lab group has submitted two abstracts for presentation at the Ottawa neuromuscular disease meeting in September. One abstract focuses on FSHD and the second is on MDC1A.
FSH Society grant to Dr. Homma
The FSH Society has announced that they have awarded a new research grant to our colleague Dr. Sachiko Homma. This award will support her work on mechanisms of DUX4-mediated pathology in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
Summer researchers begin
Emily Misnick, supported by a Clare Booth Luce award, and Bryant Yu, supported by an award from the BU Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, have begun their summer projects in our lab. Welcome!
MDA Advisory Committee
On May 21-22, Jeff was in Chicago to attend a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
FSHD paper published
Clinical Epigenetics published a manuscript from our colleagues Takako Jones and Peter L. Jones at the University of Masschusetts on which Mary Lou Beermann, Sachiko Homma, and Jeff are co-authors. The work focuses on epigenetic mechanisms that regulate the level of DUX4 expression in FSHD myogenic cells. Read the paper here.
Two undergraduates to join for summer research
Emily Misnick (Biomedical Engineering, '15) and Bryant Yu (Cellular and Molecular Biology, '16) will be joining us as undergraduate researchers this summer.
Two presentations at MDA conference
At the recent MDA conference in Washington DC, our group had two presentations. Mary Lou Beermann presented our recent work on laminin-alpha-2-deficiency and Sachko Homma presented our recent work on FSHD.
FSHD paper highlighted
The Winter 2015 edition of FSH Watch, the newsletter of the FSH Society, includes a profile of our recent paper in Ann. Clin. Transl. Neurol.
Our FSHD paper is published
Our paper: "Expression of FSHD-related DUX4-FL alters proteostasis and induces TDP-43 aggregation" has now been published by Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology in its early online view section.
Two abstracts for MDA conference
Our group has submitted two abstracts to be presented at the upcoming MDA Conference in Washington DC March 11-14, 2015. The abstracts cover our new work in congenital and facioscapulohumeral dystrophies, with authors including Soonsang Yoon, Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, Jeff and our MGH collaborator Rick Boyce.
Conference presentation highlighted
The work presented by Jeff last summer at the New Directions in Skeletal Muscle Biology and Disease Conference was highlighted in both FSH Watch (Summer/Fall 2014, p20) and in a conference report published as: Wyatt et al. (2014) J. Neuromusc. Dis. 1:197-206. Jeff's talk was titled: "FSHD pathogenesis: Expression of DUX4-FL inhibits protein turnover and induces nuclear aggregation of TDP-43."
Manuscript accepted for publication
Our manuscript on DUX4-FL-induced aggregation of TDP-43 and inhibition of protein turnover has been accepted for publication by the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, which is an official publication of the American Academy of Neurology. Authors are Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, Frederick M. Boyce (our collaborator at Massachusetts General Hospital), and Jeff.
Second FSHD paper submitted
Takako I Jones, Peter L. Jones, and Charis Himeda (all of UMass Med) are lead authors, and we (Jeff, Mary Lou Beermann, and Sachiko Homma) are among the co-authors, on a manuscript about epigenetics and FSHD pathology that has just been submitted for review.
New FSHD manuscript submitted
We've submitted a new manuscript on pathogenetic mechanisms in FSHD. Authors are Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, Frederick M. Boyce (our collaborator at Massachusetts General Hospital), and Jeff.
Jeff at Chicago Conference
Jeff gave a talk at the New Directions in Biology and Disease of Skeletal Muscle held this week in Chicago. He spoke about the work done on FSHD with Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, and Rick Boyce (MGH).
Summer fellows have started
Our two summer fellows, BU MD/PhD student, Chino Igwebuike, and BU undergraduate, Michaela Welch ’17, have started their projects in our group.
FSH Watch features MCB paper
The Spring 2014 newsletter of the FSH Society includes an article that highlights the recent paper from Peter and Takako Jones at the University of Massachusetts on which we were co-authors. See page 15 of the FSH Watch here.
FSHD abstract submitted
We've submitted an abstract on our FSHD work for presentation at the New Directions in Biology and Disease of Skeletal Muscle conference to be held in Chicago at the end of June. Authors include our collaborator Rick Boyce (MGH), as well as Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, and Jeff.
MCB accepts & publishes FSHD paper.
Molecular and Cellular Biology has accepted and published our FSHD paper titled: "Myogenic enhancers regulate expression of the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy associated DUX4 gene." The authors are: Charis L. Himeda, Céline Debarnot, Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, Jeffrey B. Miller, Peter L. Jones, and Takako I. Jones. The lead authors, Charis Himeda, Peter Jones, and Takako Jones are at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. (Abstract in PubMed)
Two summer fellows to join us
A BU undergraduate, Michaela Welch '17, and a first year BU MD/PhD student, Chino Igwebuike, will be joining our group for summer research.
UROP & MSSRP summer positions available
We invite undergraduates (to be supported by UROP) and first year Medical Students (support through MSSRP) to inquire about joining us for the summer of 2014.
Revised FSHD paper submitted
Our colleagues Takako and Peter Jones have submitted a revised version of the FSHD mechanism paper on which Sachiko Homma, Mary Lou Beermann, and Jeff are co-authors.