Absence of the dystrophin protein leads to the severe muscle disorder Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Nearly asymptomatic patients have been identified to produce a functional N-terminal truncated dystrophin protein. Gene therapy experts at Nationwide Children's Hospital are developing a U7-snRNA exon skipping strategy to facilitate expression of a truncated dystrophin protein for patients carrying mutations within exon 6 to 9 of the DMD gene, rendering their dystrophin nonfunctional. Our experts have effectively skipped exon 8 in patient-derived cell lines and in turn produced a functional truncated dystrophin protein product.