Jackson Friesth Period 5 Biology

The Origin of Muscular Dystrophy Muscular dystrophy is a recessive gene, that if passed down will cripple vital muscle tissue that is essential for human movement. MD is also an X linked recessive trait, meaning that males are more affected by the disease because they only have one X chromosome so they only need one faulty gene to be present instead of two required for women. The cause for Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy is due to an altered DMD gene which is responsible for making the protein dystrophin, which is believed this protein helps protect and stabilize muscle tissue.

Muscular Dystrophy Facts: There is no current treatment for MD. However people can go through physical therapy to improve muscle mobility. Muscular Dystrophy affects 1 in 3,000 newborn males. Females are rarely affected by Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy due to their decreased chances of receiving two of the same X-traits. There are around 250,000 cases in the US alone. The diagnosis of muscular dystrophy is based on the results of a muscle biopsy and increased creatine phosphokinase. In some cases, a DNA blood test may be all that is needed. A son of a carrier of MD has around a fifty percent chance of developing the disease, while a daughter of a carrier has a fifty percent chance of becoming only a carrier of the disease, which means she will never actually develop the disease but will still have the ability to pass it on to her children.

Facts Continued Symptoms include (but are not limited to): Progressive muscular wasting, poor balance, drooping eyelids, Gonadal, loss of bladder The severity of the disease is “case by case” but there is a wide age range as far as who may experience the symptoms of the disease Stem Cell research is currently being used to regenerate damaged tissue and could potentially even cure the disease if the technology is further developed.

Life With Muscular Dystrophy Life with MD varies on how severe and what type of MD they have. Many types of MD are mild and slowly become worse over time. However, other types tend to be more severe and can result in paralysis or even death. Someone with MD may have limited mobility and often can not speak efficiently. It is generally hard for a patient to get around often will require lifetime assistance (a nurse or wheelchair)

Possibility Of A Cure! Although there is no current technology to combat the effects of MD, a Cure for the disease is very probable and most likely under construction with stem cell research. However with MD being a genetic trait passed down and carried by many people throughout the world it would be difficult to determine who actually had the disease (especially in women. The technology is practical, and there may be a day in the near future where MD is driven to extinction.

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