Teaching cells to skip a genetic mistake

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by mutations in the largest gene in the human genome. Instead of trying to replace it, Francesco Muntoni helped to pioneer a strategy that makes cells skip the faulty segment when reading the gene. The approach – known as exon skipping – can restore production of dystrophin, the missing muscle protein. It has opened a new path in genetic medicine and earned Muntoni the 2026 Novo Nordisk Prize.