Based in New Jersey, Edgar Alacan is the co-founder of Jets.com, which provides private jet charter services. In addition, he has been a member of the board of directors of Pietro’s Fight since 2013. Over the course of the last seven years, Edgar Alacan has been responsible for coordinating all benefit events organized by Pietro’s Fight in order to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is a genetic disorder that mainly affects boys. The condition begins with muscle weakness around the age of 2 or 3, leading to severe issues such as the inability to walk, scoliosis, and conditions that impact the heart and respiratory muscles. DMD is a common type of muscular dystrophy that affects around one in 5,000 males at birth.
The condition is due to a mutation in a gene on the X chromosome that inhibits the production of dystrophin, a protein which promote muscle function. The disorder is usually inherited from the mother who has a mutated dystrophin gene on one X chromosome. While the disorder mainly manifests in males, females may also present symptoms, ranging from mild skeletal muscle weakness to severe cardiac conditions.
Currently, there is no cure for DMD, although there is ongoing research on gene therapy. Studies show that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing could have the potential to permanently correct dystrophin mutations.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy, or DMD, is a genetic disorder that mainly affects boys. The condition begins with muscle weakness around the age of 2 or 3, leading to severe issues such as the inability to walk, scoliosis, and conditions that impact the heart and respiratory muscles. DMD is a common type of muscular dystrophy that affects around one in 5,000 males at birth.
The condition is due to a mutation in a gene on the X chromosome that inhibits the production of dystrophin, a protein which promote muscle function. The disorder is usually inherited from the mother who has a mutated dystrophin gene on one X chromosome. While the disorder mainly manifests in males, females may also present symptoms, ranging from mild skeletal muscle weakness to severe cardiac conditions.
Currently, there is no cure for DMD, although there is ongoing research on gene therapy. Studies show that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing could have the potential to permanently correct dystrophin mutations.
