The Institute of Myology shares parts of its expertise in the area of research, but also in the area of data processing and the conduct of clinical trials.

Centre for biological resources

The Institute is a biological resource centre, making available immortalised cell lines and also tissue samples, intended exclusively for use in research.

• MyoLine, the platform for immortalization of human cells is headed by Vincent Mouly, PhD (Joint Head of the Cell and Molecular Orchestration in Muscle Regeneration, Ageing and Diseases team, at the Myology Centre for Research). It had generated over 130 human myoblast cell lines isolated from patients suffering from over 27 different diseases.
• The MYOBANK-AFM research tissue bank is headed by Prof. Bertrand Fontaine (Scientific and Medical Director of the Institute of Myology and Head of the Service of Neuro-Myology) and coordinated by Stéphane Vasseur and Maud Chapart-Leclert. This not-for-profit service is responsible for collecting, preparing, storing and distributing human tissue samples. The tissue samples come mainly from patients with rare or neuromuscular diseases, but also from healthy subjects, in order to provide a batch of “control” samples.

MyoTools assessment tools

The main objective of the Neuromuscular Physiology Laboratory headed by Jean-Yves Hogrel, PhD, is to develop tools and software to assess muscle strength in different systems (thumb-index pinch, knee flexor-extensor, etc.), movement, and resistance to fatigue.  These tools and methods are necessary in disease diagnosis and patient motor performance follow-up, especially in the context of assessing pharmacological, gene or cell therapies.

Clinical trials platform, Registers and Data bases

As of 2020, the Institute of Myology has a scientific and technological platform at its disposal that is allowing it to conduct around 30 research protocols: natural histories, treatment methodologies, exercise retraining and therapeutic trials (pharmacology, cell therapy, gene therapy and enzyme therapy). This platform is internationally recognised, and a number of pharmaceutical organisations and companies (the US NIH, Genzyme, PTC Therapeutics, Santhera, Roche, etc.) have chosen it as a primary investigator centre for some of their trials.

• I-Motion Pediatric, headed by Dr Giorgia Querin (Neurologist), is the Institute’s paediatric clinical trial platform for neuromuscular diseases. Located at the site of the Trousseau Paediatric Hospital, it allows young patients to be cared for under the best conditions, in a tailored, welcoming and secure environment.
• I-Motion Adults, headed by Prof. Bertrand Fontaine (Scientific and Medical Director of the Institute of Myology and Head of the Service of Neuro-Myology) and Dr Giorgia Querin (Neurologist), is the adult clinical trial centre that operates for the purposes of interventional research in adults relating to therapeutic trials, natural histories and medical devices. It is located at the site of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital.
• The goal of the Registers and Databases Centre, headed by Dr Karim Wahbi, is the development and maintenance of databases, registers, observational studies and cohort follow-ups. The objective is to collect epidemiological data and natural histories, and to assess the effect of treatments and prepare future therapeutic trials.