What is Duchenne (DMD) ?
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Is the most common and severe genetic disorder affecting children, especially males. Children in Duchenne suffer from various defects in the gene responsible for the production of dystrophin protein, which is essential for muscle cell building. As a result of impaired muscular dystrophin supply, the muscle structure is impaired so that weakened muscle cells suffer from a significant decrease in function and cause a gradual loss of motor capabilities. Initial signs of illness will usually appear around age 3, leading the sick child to wheelchair in the early years of his second decade. Most patients do not survive until the age of 30 due to heart or lung dysfunction.