The MyoAmp project is dedicated to the development of a cell therapy protocol associated with exon skipping for Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy. This is an innovative concept: modify autologous stem cells using a lentivirus thanks to the exon skipping technique. The cells are then grafted into the muscle of DMD patients so that they differentiate into muscle, thereby regenerating it. This concept originated from research undertaken by Luis Garcia, now director of the research team 5 “Physiopathology and therapeutics of neurovegetative diseases” within the UMR 787/Myology Group directed by David Sassoon. Launched on January 12, 2007, the Myoamp project gathers eight European partners: From France, the Myology Institute, Inserm, Généthon and Genosafe, the University of Milan and the Foundation Centro San Raffaele del Monte Tabor in Italy, the London Imperial College in England, 3H Biomedical in Sweden and Cellgenix in Germany.

The Myology Institute is a member of the European network of excellence for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases, Treat NMD. This network launched on January 1, 2007, aims to accelerate the arrival of treatments at the bedside of patients. It groups 21 academic and industrial partners.

Launched in February 2006, the Eurolaminopathy project groups 14 European teams, including that of Gisèle Bonne (Inserm 582). Researchers will study cells from patients and animal models of these pathologies to elucidate by which mechanisms certain lamins A/C mutations lead to laminopathies. They thus hope to identify drug targets. In parallel, they are looking for tools capable of evaluating the benefit of the treatments that could be proposed and tested.