May 26, 2009 In a world first, West Australian scientists have
cured mice of a devastating muscle disease that causes a Floppy
Baby Syndrome – a breakthrough that could ultimately help
thousands of families across the globe. The research, published
online in the Journal of Cell Biology, reveals how a team at the
Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) has
restored muscle function in mice with one type of Floppy Baby
Syndrome – a congenital myopathy disorder that causes babies to
be born without the ability to properly use their muscles. The
currently incurable genetic diseases render most of the affected
children severely paralysed and take the lives of the majority
of these children before the age of one. Dr Kristen Nowak, lead
author on the publication, said the team was extremely
encouraged that it had been able to cure a group of mice born
with the condition. "The mice with Floppy Baby Syndrome were
only expected to live for about nine days, but we managed to
cure them so they were born