Abstract: Methods are provided for increasing utrophin promoter activity, utrophin expression or utrophin activity, and treating or reducing the symptoms of muscular dystrophy by administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising a utrophin promoter or activity upregulator. Muscular dystrophy includes but is not limited to Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker's muscular dystrophy, limb girdle muscular dystrophy, or a disease characterized by mutation or dysregulation of the dystrophin gene or an aberrant or dysfunctional dystrophin.