image by: Muscular Dystrophy UK

HWN Suggests

More targeted treatment of muscular dystrophy in future

Congenital muscular dystrophies encompass a group of diseases whose main feature is the degeneration of muscles: progressive muscle weakness and muscle wasting. Symptoms appear at birth or early during infancy. Children’s motor development—such as head control, sitting freely or crawl-ing—is delayed or not completed. In some cases, muscle weakness is so severe that no movement against gravity is possible. Depending on the type of CMD, muscle weakness also affects organs such as the lungs or the heart and leads to a shortened life expectancy. In some types, the central nervous system is affected.

read full article

Featured

 What is muscular dystrophy? The little-known genetic condition that 70,000 people are living with causes body muscles to weaken over time

Unfortunately, there is no cure for muscular dystrophy but a range of treatments are available that help with the physical disabilities and other issues associated with MD such as the emotional impact of the diagnosis on the individual and their family. Treatments include medication for the heart, physiotherapy, physical aids, peer support and surgery to correct deformities. Researchers are looking into ways of fixing the genetic mutations and muscle damage associated with MD.

Previously Featured

CRISPR Offers New Line of Attack on Muscular Dystrophy

The technique could help up to 60 percent of those suffering from a specific type of dystrophy known as DMD.

What Is It?

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of disorders that cause the body's muscles to become increasingly weak...

Cerebral Palsy vs. Muscular Dystrophy: 3 Key Differences

Cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy are two groups of conditions that are sometimes confused for one another. Cerebral palsy impacts muscle tone, coordination, and mental function, while muscular dystrophy mainly affects muscle tone.

Doctors hail breakthrough in muscular dystrophy treatment

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by mutations that disrupt the normal function of a gene on the X chromosome. The disease mostly affects boys – about one in 3,500 – because they have only one X chromosome. Since girls have two X chromosomes they tend to have a working backup if one copy of the gene is damaged. As a result girls tend not to be affected, but can be carriers and may pass mutated genes on to their children.

He Can’t Cure His Dad. But a Scientist’s Research May Help Everyone Else.

The muscle wasting disease that has debilitated Sharif Tabebordbar’s father motivated a life in science that led to an important medical discovery.

Muscular dystrophies: Present National Scenario!

Formerly, these muscular dystrophies were subdivided based on clinical and pathological criteria, but are currently classified primarily by the mutations affecting genes encoding various skeletal muscle proteins.

Muscular Dystrophy: Guide and Resources for Students

While there is no universal pattern that will work in every scenario for a student with either type of Muscular Dystrophy, the general requirements for choosing a school include...

New molecule heralds hope for muscular dystrophy treatment

There's hope for patients with myotonic dystrophy. A new small molecule developed by researchers at the University of Illinois has been shown to break up the protein-RNA clusters that cause the disease in living human cells, an important first step toward developing a pharmaceutical treatment for the as-yet untreatable disease.

New research shows certain exercises can help with muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a debilitating disease that causes the weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles that progressively worsens over time. According to a team of University of Maine researchers, certain activities may help strengthen muscles affected by muscular dystrophy — and they figured it out by stimulating zebrafish and watching them work out.

Types of Muscular Dystrophy and Neuromuscular Diseases

Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited diseases that are characterized by weakness and wasting away of muscle tissue, with or without the breakdown of nerve tissue. There are nine types of muscular dystrophy, with each type involving an eventual loss of strength, increasing disability, and possible deformity.

Why It’s Important to Be Still Amid the World’s Chaos

The world can be overwhelming thanks to the deadly coronavirus pandemic, especially for someone dealing with muscular dystrophy. On top of the daily struggles — lack of mobility, physical exhaustion, and steroid-related side effects — there’s also the worry of getting sick and feeling the virus’s financial toll.

Resources

Muscular Dystrophy News

Muscular Dystrophy News is a digital news publication dedicated to offering comprehensive daily news coverage of MD.

Cure CMD

Cure CMD’s mission is to bring research, treatments and in the future, a cure for the Congenital Muscular Dystrophies that have a profound affect on children as young as birth.

FSHD Society

We are the world's largest and most progressive grassroots network of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy patients, their families and research activists. The FSH Society harnesses the power and insight of a patient-driven model, as it was founded on a promise between two research scientists with FSHD never to let the disease be forgotten or neglected. We are a cause without borders.

Jain Foundation

The Jain Foundation's mission is to cure muscular dystrophies caused by dysferlin protein deficiency. These dystrophies are collectively termed dysferlinopathy, and include Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B and Miyoshi muscular dystrophy 1. Dysferlinopathy is an orphan disease afflicting approximately 5 people/million and receives little or no funding from traditional sources.

Jett Foundation

Since 2001, the Jett Foundation, located in Kingston, MA, has worked to find treatments and a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy while improving the lives of those affected by DMD. Over the past decade, the Jett Foundation has raised almost 2 million dollars for Duchenne research. The foundation currently funds the Jett Program for Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders at Mass General Hospital for Children. The Jett Foundation provides resources for treatments and adaptive activities as we work toward a cure and treatments for Duchenne.

MDA

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary health agency -- a dedicated partnership between scientists and concerned citizens aimed at conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans.

Muscular Dystrophy Canada

Muscular Dystrophy Canada is a not-for-profit organization committed to finding a cure for neuromuscular disorders through well funded research. Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s dedicated volunteers and staff across the country raise funds to enhance the lives of those affected by over 150 different kinds of neuromuscular disorders by continually working to provide ongoing support and resources.

Muscular Dystrophy Family Foundation

Through the life services of Advocacy, Education and Consultation, Muscular Dystrophy Family Fund will enhance and strengthen the lives of individuals with neuromuscular diseases and to provide, or direct their families to valuable resources in helping our clients become successful contributors to the community.

Muscular Dystrophy UK

We aim to find treatments and ultimately cures for muscular dystrophy and related conditions and improve the lives of all those people affected by them in the UK. We act to make a real difference for people affected by muscular dystrophy and related conditions.

Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation

The Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 by families living with myotonic dystrophy. Through community support, education, advocacy, and research MDF is committed to enhancing the quality of life of people living with myotonic dystrophy, and maximizing efforts focused on treatments and a cure for DM.

Coalition to Cure Calpain 3

Coalition to Cure Calpain 3 provides support for promising research into finding treatments or a cure for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, type 2A/Calpainopathy (LGMD2A). The unrelenting nature of this disease takes its victims from full mobility to a wheelchair within 11-28 years after the onset of symptoms. LGMD2A attracts significantly fewer research dollars than other forms of muscular dystrophy and thus fewer researchers working to understand the disease and discover a cure.

My Beckers Story

Join Brad Miller who was diagnosed with Becker Muscular Dystrophy at just 10 years old, a condition which limits his ability to walk and gets progressively worse over time. He created the My Becker's Story blog in 2010 to share my story and to help raise awareness about Muscular Dystrophy.

Powerchair Dairies

Essays by Mark E. Smith, WheelchairJunkie.com

Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center

The Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center is exploring therapeutic strategies for the treatment of various muscular dystrophies by enabling translational research on muscular dystrophies and providing advanced diagnostic services. The MDCRC is composed of two research projects, three cores and investigators with a proven track record of excellence and collaboration.

CDC

Muscular dystrophies are a group of disorders that result in muscle weakness and a decrease in muscle mass over time. Some muscular dystrophies are not identified until a child is 3 to 6 years of age, but can be diagnosed earlier.

KidsHealth

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder that gradually weakens the body's muscles. It's caused by incorrect or missing genetic information that prevents the body from making the proteins needed to build and maintain healthy muscles.

MayoClinic

In depth information about muscular dystrophy including further resources.

MedlinePlus

Information, research, clinical trials, articles and resources for muscular dystrophy from MedlinePlus.

NHS

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic (inherited) condition that gradually causes the muscles to weaken. This leads to an increasing level of disability.

NINDS

The muscular dystrophies are a group of more than 30 genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. Some forms of MD are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later.

ScienceDaily

The latest MD news.