The subject I have chosen is “New Vitamin-Based Treatment That Could Reduce Muscle Degeneration” in relation to Muscular Dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a group of inherited muscle-destroying diseases that causes progressive degeneration of skeletal muscle fibers (Tortora). Many of us have experienced or have seen families that have a child with difficult walking or running. The disease does not just affect elderly men and women. The disease begins at a young age and can be genetically inherited.

Recently, research has been carried out by Clarissa Henry from the University Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maine (PLOS Biology). As we all know, there is no cure to muscular dystrophy. Researchers have found ways to improve muscle functioning (in a zebrafish version) in muscular dystrophy by a cellular chemical called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide which activates a cell adhesion pathway and prevents the normal junctions that are being formed among the cells in muscular tissue (PLOS Biology). The research has shown that zebrafish with muscular dystrophy have disorganized basement membranes in their muscular tissue which results in difficulties in movement.

I think that this is important research in relation to today’s society because the disease starts with the parents and runs down to their kids. The use of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide can help prevent a person from having difficulties from walking, running and jumping. Taking this discovery seriously can decrease the number of people in the world being affected by muscular dystrophy. To conclude, it could possibly save the trouble that parents will go through when his or her child is suffering from muscular dystrophy by taking responsibility as a parent and taking vitamins that can decrease the chances that their child will develop muscular dystrophy.

Works Cited
Goody, M. F., Meghan, K. W., Reynolds, A. K., Crawford, B. D., & Henry, C. A. (2012, October 23). ScienceDaily: Muscular Dystrophy News. Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Retrieved November 8, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine

Michelle F. Goody, Meghan W. Kelly, Christine J. Reynolds, Andre Khalil, Bryan D. Crawford, Clarissa A. Henry. NAD Biosynthesis Ameliorates a Zebrafish Model of Muscular Dystrophy. PLoS Biology, 2012; 10 (10): e1001409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001409

Tortora, Gerard J. and Bryan Derrickson. “Muscular Tissue.” Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. 13th ed. N.p.: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. 104. Print.