Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a condition characterized by degeneration of muscles progressively and is considered a genetic disorder. Muscle weakness and degeneration are caused by alterations of dystrophin (a protein) responsible for the rigidity of muscles. The DMD gene mutation is what escalates to Duchenne dystrophy. The gene is responsible for providing instructions akin to making the dystrophin protein. The protein’s location in cardiac and skeletal muscles provides protection and stability to muscle fibers. DMD is rampant in males, and as a genetic disorder, it is passed on from parents to offspring. Except for the sex chromosomes, the offspring has two gene pairs (Duan et al., 2021). One copy is inherited from the paternal parent, while the other is from the maternal side. If any of the parents have a mutation on the gene causing Muscular Dystrophy, then DMD or Becker Muscular Dystrophy can be passed on to the offspring. Both muscular dystrophies are caused by the mutation occurring in the protein dystrophin. In DMD, there is a complete lack of functional dystrophin in the muscle.