Serum Levels of MicroRNA-206 and Novel Mini-STR Assays for Carrier Detection in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked neuromuscular disorder in which the detection of female carriers is of the utmost importance for genetic counseling. Haplotyping with polymorphic markers and quantitation of creatine kinase levels (CK) allow tracking of the at-risk haplotype and evidence muscle damage, respectively. Such approaches are useful for carrier detection in cases of unknown mutations.

Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Carrier Detection.

Non-invasive biological indicators of the absence/presence or progress of the disease that could be used to support diagnosis and to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment are of utmost importance in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). This neuromuscular disorder affects male children, causing weakness and disability, whereas female relatives are at risk of being carriers of the disease. A biomarker with both high sensitivity and specificity for accurate prediction is preferred.

Comparison of mutation profiles in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene among populations: implications for potential molecular therapies.

Novel therapeutic approaches are emerging to restore dystrophin function in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a severe neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle wasting and weakness. Some of the molecular therapies, such as exon skipping, stop codon read-through and internal ribosome entry site-mediated translation rely on the type and location of mutations. Hence, their potential applicability worldwide depends on mutation frequencies within populations.