Facioscapulohumeral Disease Biomaterial for Wellstone Core

An NIH funded, Senatory Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center (MDCRC) has recently been established entitled "Biomarkers for therapy of FSHD (facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy)." This multi-institutional MDCRC will be directed by Charles Emerson, Ph.D. at Boston Biomedical Research Institute. The PI (in addition to having a project that is not being reviewed by the IRB at this time) is a co-director of the Centers Cell core. This core will be a national repository of muscle tissue, cells, and DNA for studies in FSHD. This IRB application is for approval of the PIs activities in recruiting patients and first degree relatives with FSHD for muscle biopsy and blood sample acquistion.