**4. Conclusions**

Here we described several dozens of Duchenne muscular dystrophy models. The list of species used to create these models includes worms, fruit flies, fishes, dogs, cats, mice, pigs, rats and monkeys. Some of them were found in natural populations, while the others were artificially created. The spectrum of genetic interventions spans from point mutations to complete deletion of the largest gene - *Dmd* gene, double knockouts and humanized constructions. The genetic and phenotypic diversity provides great opportunities for fundamental studies and drug development.

The correspondence of the model phenotype to human DMD phenotype is extremely important for drug testing. Some of the models, especially based on small animal species, could not represent DMD features correctly. The same goes for many mice models. The mouse model which has mutation identical to a certain DMD case may not correctly represent the DMD phenotype. Vice versa, several double knockout mice models reproduce the DMD phenotype much closer while being an inadequate genetic model. The models based on larger species are more useful as their phenotype is usually closer to DMD. But the creation, maintenance and cost of these animals complicates their use and restricts diversity. Indeed, no ideal DMD model is still created. However, the development of novel promising DMD treatment strategies requires both genetically similar models for precision drugs testing and phenotypically appropriate models for disease study and design of therapies. We should expect the expansion of the DMD-related animal models list in the nearest future.
