Libertyville, IL, Carlsbad, CA, Woodridge, IL October 8, 2008 - Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (FSMA, www.curesma.org), Invitrogen Corporation (NASDAQ:IVGN www.invitrogen.com), and deCODE chemistry & biostructures www.decodechembio.com) announced today they have identified a protein that is a potential molecular target for the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). In its most severe form, SMA often leads to death in infancy, and there is currently no treatment or cure. Research published today in the journal ACS Chemical Biology of the American Chemical Society, entitled “DcpS as a Therapeutic Target for Spinal Muscular Atrophy,” details the identification and characterization of a protein that offers a novel biological mechanism for designing new SMA therapeutics.