Joana Fernandes,  —

Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who carry a variant in the CD40 gene, which encodes a protein of the immune system, have loss of ambulation at an earlier age, according to a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics. The study, “Association Study Of Exon…

Consumption of large doses of a vitamin called nicotinamide riboside may help treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by reducing muscle inflammation, according to research in animal models of the disease by scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. The study, “NAD Repletion Improves Muscle Function In Muscular Dystrophy…

Pain is a common and frequent problem among patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and is associated with physical limitations and poor quality of life in these patients, according to a new study conducted by researchers in Brazil. The authors argue that knowing several aspects about pain, such as frequency,…

PTC Therapeutics‘ new investigational therapy ataluren shows promise for preserving lung function and slowing disease progression in non-ambulatory nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients, according to a recent news release. The results came from an analysis comparing lung function data from a PTC extension study (Study 019; NCT01557400) and data…

Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) show signs of excessive activity in certain leg muscles, an apparent reaction by the body to compensate for the instability caused by muscle weakness associated with this disease. This compensation mechanism may have a negative impact on the muscles and increase the effort necessary…

Researchers at  Stony Brook University, in New York, found that a protein (dystroglycan) of the muscle whose impaired activity contributes to the pathology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, also plays a key role in brain development. Because previous research has shown that Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients may also develop neurological conditions…

A form of vitamin B3 taken as a supplement may reverse muscle frailty associated with aging by boosting levels of NAD, a molecule that helps generate energy from food nutrients, researchers report. The findings may lead to new ways of ameliorating certain aspects of muscle dystrophy. The recent study, “Loss of NAD…

Results from a Phase 3 clinical trial comparing deflazacort and prednisone, two corticosteroid drugs under evaluation as potential treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, showed that both deflazacort and prednisone improved muscle strength compared to a placebo, meeting the primary endpoint of the study. But deflazacort caused less weight gain than prednisone, according to…