DMD / BMD Muscular Diseases

Duchenne / Becker Muscular Dystrophy (DMD / BMD) which is characterized by progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Patients’ clinical symptoms can be light or severe according to mutations and it helps us distinguish the disease as DMD vs BMD.

Patients die in their 30s due to recurrent pulmonary diseases and cardiomyopathy. Dystrophin gene has located on the long arm of chromosome 5 (5q13) and comprises 79 exons.

"The results suggest a helical structure which must be very closely packed containing probably 2, 3 or 4 coaxial nucleic acid chains per helical unit and having the phosphate groups near the outside."

Rosalind Elsie Franklin