Muscular dystrophy

Are things clearer now? Yes. A breakthrough came in 1987 when the causative gene for the most common severe form of MD, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD — the field is rich in eponyms, too) was found. Since then, the genes affected in many MDs have been discovered, enabling classification and diagnosis to be put on a much more secure footing. Some traditional disease categories have split as a result (recessive limb girdle muscular dystrophy — LGMD — now has eight subtypes), whereas others have merged. The flood of genes and gene products has provided much opportunity for new names including the protein that is missing in Fukuyama dystrophy (another eponym), memorably called Fukutin.