Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)

For the first time, gene therapy using a highly miniaturized dystrophin gene resulted in significant improvement in muscle structure and function in dogs with a disorder mimicking human Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

In a December 2012 podcast from Nationwide Children's Hospital, cell biologist Federica Montanaro discusses her team's recent progress in understanding how various proteins interact with dystrophin and how these interactions differ in the heart versus the skeletal muscles.

Below is a wrap-up of recent research news about the development of therapies for Duchenne, Becker and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies.

Eteplirsen, an exon-skipping drug in development by Sarepta Therapeutics to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) caused by specific mutations in the dystrophin gene, continues to show benefit at 62 weeks with respect to the distance walked in six minutes.

In both October and December 2012, Sarepta Therapeutics announced very encouraging results from a 12-person phase 2b trial of eteplirsen, an exon-skipping compound that is a potential treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Eteplirsen targets exon 51 of the dystrophin gene and is designed to treat DMD caused by specific dystrophin mutations.

Biopharmaceutical company Sarepta Therapeutics has announced it will expand the focus of its exon-skipping program for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by developing compounds that target exons 45, 50 and 53 of the dystrophin gene, in addition to continuing to develop eteplirsen, which targets ex