Pierre Klein is a senior postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Research in Myology in the Repeat Expansions & Myotonic Dystrophy (REDs) team led by Denis Furling. At the 22nd Conference of the French Society of Myology, held from 19 to 21 November 2025 in Aix-les-Bains, he was awarded the Impulsion Prize, which supports postdoctoral researchers wishing to apply for research fellow positions. Interview with Pierre Klein
What is the research topic supported by the Impulsion Prize?
The research project I am developing focuses on the role of the epitranscriptome in the pathophysiology of skeletal muscle, and in particular the involvement of m6A RNA methylation in stem cell plasticity. The aim here is to initiate a brand new research topic within the CRM/Institute of Myology, unique in France and Europe, focusing on epitranscriptomics* in muscle under pathophysiological conditions.
How important is this new field of research?
The strategic importance of this emerging field has been clearly recognised at European level, notably through the EPITRAN (European Epitranscriptomics Network) consortium, launched in 2017 as part of the COST programme. EPITRAN brought together 105 teams from 22 countries with the aim of positioning Europe as a leader in this rapidly expanding field and catching up with other major scientific powers (the United States and China).
This initiative aimed in particular to centralise and structure research on the epitranscriptome in Europe, to bring together a scientific community of excellence, and finally to stimulate innovation and the creation of start-ups by attracting industrial partners.
The urgency of developing this theme is based on a now well-established observation: the number of pathologies associated with epitranscriptome dysregulation is increasing dramatically. However, no European study has yet examined the role of epitranscriptomics in the pathophysiology of skeletal muscle — a gap that my project aims to fill.
What are the prospects for the future?
Obtaining Impulsion funding from the JSFM is a real springboard for initiating this innovative line of research, enabling France — and the CRM/Institut de Myologie — to position itself at the forefront of this rapidly expanding field, while paving the way for major scientific and therapeutic advances in muscular dystrophy.
* Epitranscriptomics encompasses all the chemical modifications carried by RNAs, which have a decisive influence on their cellular functions.
