Therapies in muscular dystrophy: current concepts and future prospects

In the fast moving field of muscular dystrophy, therapeutic matters are now high on the agenda. Despite little progress made in the understanding of the exact pathogenesis, hopes have been raised with the advent of molecular medicine applied to such disorders. A constellation of techniques or therapeutic solutions are now available, but very few have reached the clinical stage. Gene therapy, cell therapy and pharmacological therapy look more promising, but their clinical application may still take years. We review the various alternatives and suggest that some of them might be used in combination.