FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DMD PLEASE FEEL FREE TO VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES:

http://www.thirdage.com/hc/c/du

chenne-muscular-dystrophysymptoms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duc

henne_muscular_dystrophy#Sy mptoms

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Treatment and Research!

There is no cure for DMD, but there are treatments that may help. There is physical therapy which slows down the process of DMD. For therapy doctors suggest a light physical exercise, like slow swimming. Nothing that is strenuous, but light exercise helps stretch the muscles, and gives them slight reason to work. However, doctors, do NOT suggest bed rest, because it might worsen the situation. There has been evidence that through stem cells, doctors can replace damaged or dead muscle matter. There has also been research of a new protein that might be able to take the place of dystrophin. The new protein, atropin has almost the same structure as dystrophin, so it might be able to stop this disease. In 2007, scientists, led by Jerry Mendell, M.D., did the worlds first gene therapy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=6wLnR7GJakY
http://www.nature.com/scitable/t

opicpage/sex-linked-diseasesthe-case-of-duchenne-800 ALSO FEEL FREE TO ASK YOUR LOCAL DOCTOR IF YOUR CHILDREN HAVE DMD.

The X-Chromosome: Carrier of DMD

Who does DMD Affect?

DMD usually affect males, starting from age five. However, females can also be affected. One in 3,500 males is affected in the US. Ask your doctor if your child has DMD. Your child might have DMD if one of your family member or your spouses family members had DMD.

What is Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (or DMD) is usually a sex-linked disease, but it can be spontaneous, when your muscles gradually lose strength. It is a disease in which the DNA undergoes a mutation. Because of this mutation, the body cannot make a specific protein called Dystrophin. Dystrophin is a protein that keeps your muscles going through the day. This disease is located on the x-chromosome. Therefore, men are the ones who get it more. Women are usually carriers. Women are only affected if both the mother and father have the disease.

Symptoms of DMD
There are many symptoms of DMD. Symptoms usually appear in children before the age of five. They also may be visible in early infancy. First the legs will be affected. The calf muscles and quadriceps are affected first. Then the shoulders and arms, etc. One thing one should look out for is the calf muscles. They make look okay, but the muscle will have been deteriorated, so fat will have taken its place. By the age of twelve, most children need a wheelchair, because they cannot stand up. Another thing is that when infants have the disease, they will have an awkward way of walking and running, and they will fall down a lot. When they get up they will have an awkward way of getting up. They will get up using a move called the Gowers Maneuver (See Above). Another symptom is the way infants and children walk. They might walk with their shoulders back and belly out. These symptoms arent always due to DMD, but you should ask your doctor and find out.

X X Y
XX XY

XD
XXD XDY

This is a family with a mother being a carrier for DMD and the father isnt affect by it. AS you can see one son is still going to have DMD, and one daughter will be a carrier.