Allosteric Modulation of GSK-3β as a New Therapeutic Approach in Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy R1 Calpain 3-Related
Anabel Rico, Garazi Guembelzu, Valle Palomo, Ana Martı́nez, Ana Aiastui, Leire Casas-Fraile, Andrea Valls, Adolfo López de Munaín, Amets Sáenz
Abstract
Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R1 calpain 3-related (LGMDR1) is an autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy produced by mutations in the CAPN3 gene. It is a rare disease and there is no cure or treatment for the disease while the pathophysiological mechanism by which the absence of calpain 3 provokes the dystrophy in muscles is not clear. However, key proteins implicated in Wnt and mTOR signaling pathways, which regulate muscle homeostasis, showed a considerable reduction in their expression and in their phosphorylation in LGMDR1 patients’ muscles. Finally, the administration of tideglusib and VP0.7, ATP non-competitive inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), restore the expression and phosphorylation of these proteins in LGMDR1 cells, opening the possibility of their use as therapeutic options.