What is Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy (Kennedys Disease), and does the SMA Foundation work on this disease?
Although Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy are both neuromuscular diseases and share certain symptoms, they are separate diseases with distinct causes. Symptoms of Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, also known as Kennedy’s Disease, include muscle weakness and wasting and, occasionally, sensory and endocrine disturbances. Unlike SMA, which is caused by deletions or defects in both copies of the SMN1 gene, Kennedy’s Disease is caused by a recessive mutation on the X chromosome. Although our work at the SMA Foundation focuses solely on the development of treatments for SMN1 gene-associated SMA, there is hope that our research may lead to symptomatic therapies that would also be of help to people living with Kennedy’s Disease. For additional information about, and support for, individuals and families with Kennedy’s Disease, we recommend the following resources: • www.clinicaltrials.gov – for the latest information on clinical trials.
