Spinal muscular atrophy is a debilitating disease that causes weakness and wasting of the muscles. The disease ranges in severity with patients experiencing different symptoms, from the inability to sit up and stand, to trouble walking. In its severest form, the disease results in difficulty breathing and leads to death.  Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by a genetic mutation that triggers the loss of spinal … Continue reading Molecular mechanism underlying neurodegeneration in spinal muscular atrophy identified.