The invention relates to methods of treating
Duchenne muscular dystrophy with flavonoids. The methods may include (a) providing a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of
flavonoid, and (b) administering the composition to a
human patient, wherein the
flavonoid comprises an isoflav-4-one with at least one of the carbons located at positions 8, 7, 6, 5, 2, 2′, 3′, 4′, 5′, or 6′ modified by an
alcohol group. Alternatively, the
flavonoid may comprise (1) a
flavan-3-ol with at least one of the carbons located at positions 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2′, 3′, 4′, 5′, or 6′ modified by an
alcohol group, or (2) a Free-B-Ring flavone with at least one of the carbons located at positions 8, 7, 6, 5 or 3 modified by an
alcohol group and with at least one of the carbons located at positions 8, 7, 6, 5 or 3 modified by a
glycoside group.