ABSTRACT

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a genetic disorder involving slowly progressive muscle degeneration in which the muscles of the face, shoulder blades and upper arms are among the most severely affected. It is the third most common inherited muscular dystrophy, affecting 1 in 20,000. The search for the molecular basis of the disease is of interest to all genetic researchers, involving a deletion outside a coding region resulting in over-expression of adjacent genes. This volume summarizes the current understanding of the disorder, including clinical, molecular and therapeutic aspects.

chapter 9|21 pages

The DUX gene family and FSHD

chapter 12|18 pages

Mosaicism and FSHD

chapter 15|34 pages

Molecular diagnosis of FSHD

chapter 16|22 pages

FSHD myoblasts: in vitro studies

chapter 22|14 pages

Sarcolemmal reorganization in FSHD