Wellstone Centers share six core facilities, which help researchers better study many forms of muscular dystrophy.
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Cell and Tissue Core
The University of Massachusetts Wellstone Center maintains the Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Cell and Tissue Core, a repository of biomaterials collected from facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy patients and unaffected relatives. It can provide characterized facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy cells and control muscle cells to labs studying facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy or other muscular dystrophies.
Muscle Biopsy, Cell Culture, and Diagnostics Core
The University of Iowa Wellstone Center maintains the Muscle Biopsy, Cell Culture, and Diagnostics Core, a national tissue and cell culture resource for research, and a laboratory for patient diagnostic and post-intervention biopsy evaluation for clinical trials.
Myoediting Core/Duchenne Skipper Database
The UT Southwestern Wellstone Center is establishing the Myoediting Core/Duchenne Skipper Database, a comprehensive electronic database that will optimize exon-skipping strategies to rescue of dystropin expression in iPSC-derived muscle cells.
National Registry for Myotonic Dystrophy and Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy
The University of Rochester Wellstone Center maintains the National Registry for Myotonic Dystrophy & Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy, a registry of more than 2,100 patients with myotonic dystrophy and patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Researchers can apply to the Registry’s Scientific Advisory Committee to access deidentified data or to obtain assistance with patient recruitment.
Physiological Assessment Core
The University of Florida Wellstone Center houses the Physiological Assessment Core, which performs ex vivo, in situ, and whole animal assessments of muscle integrity and function for mouse studies of potential muscular dystrophy therapies. This core serves as a national resource for performing functional evaluation of potential therapies for the muscular dystrophies.
Vector Core
The University of Washington Wellstone Center maintains the Vector Core, which provides viral and plasmid vectors for studies in small and large animal models. Services offered by the Core include consulting, reagents and training related to vector production.