An international patientregistry (database) is gathering information about children and adults with any form of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD), a congenital myasthenic syndrome or a congenital myopathy (congenital muscle disease), with the goals of promoting research and improving care in these disorders.

As scientists learn more about what our DNA can tell us about health and disease, public interest has intensified and genetic testing has become increasingly common. In response, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) have released new guidelines to address updated technologies and new uses of genetic testing and screening in children.

Researchers are very good at understanding what is going on with things they can’t see directly, whether it be the membranes of muscle cells or the motor neurons of the spinal cord. But what is true for the rest of us is equally true for scientists: Seeing something is often the quickest and most direct way to understand it.

John Porter from the National Institutes of Health likes to start talks by noting, “It’s a great time to be a mouse with a neuromuscular disease.” Exciting research results are regularly reported, where a treatment appears to cure one neuromuscular disease or another in a mouse — yet there are few treatments available today for people with any of these diseases, and only a few treatments in human clinical trials. Why does it take so long?

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded 40 research grants totaling $13.7 million to advance the understanding of disease processes and uncover new strategies for treatments and cures of muscular dystrophy and the more than 40 other diseases in the Association's program.

The new grants were recommended by MDA's Scientific and Medical Advisory Committees and approved by MDA's Board of Directors at its July 2011 meeting.