European Network for Muscle Pathology

A European network called Myores brings together 37 research groups in seven countries who will work toward the understanding of muscle development, function, and repair in order to develop therapies for various muscle pathologies.

Myores will bring together resources to tackle problems in a field that causes considerable suffering. In Europe, more than 300,000 people are affected by various muscular dystrophies, while muscular degeneration is one of the most incapacitating features of aging. Network resources will pool European expertise and share nine high-technology platforms. The network will receive around U.S.$16 million in funding as part of the European Commission's 6th Framework Program for Research and Technical Development.

Three platforms will focus on gene attenuation using interfering RNA (iRNA), Drosophila transgenesis, and in vivo electroporation. Other platforms will focus on proteomics and micro-chips, molecular modeling, and molecular imaging. Data resulting from work on these platforms will be assembled in a common database, Myobase, to facilitate and accelerate access to results for all the network members. The results will help scientists to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in human repairing systems.

The French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm, Paris, France) will be in charge of the scientific coordination of Myores. Network partners include the University of Sheffield (UK), Clinical University, Freiburg (Germany), Institute Pasteur (France), School of Medicine, Pauda (Italy), Max Planck Institute (Germany), Hebrew University (Israel), Imperial College (London), and many others.





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