New European funding for SMA research

SMA Europe - the European Federation of Associations of SMA patients - has announced funding for about € 650,000 of seven new research projects on SMA, adopted in response to the recent Call for Research Projects 2009.
Within the overall budget, € 50,000 are from Famiglie SMA, one of the major Italian groups involved in SMA.
The initiative of the European Call for Research Projects is important because it has finally created, even in Europe, an annual funding channel of global excellence SMA research, for significant amounts, which is to be attached to existing similar channels in the U.S. (FSMA and SMA Foundation).

Famiglie SMA is among the founding members of the Federation SMA Europe. "We are proud", said Dr. Renato Pocaterra, President of Famiglie SMA, "to be the main promoters of the European Call for Research Projects. Also this year we have contributed significantly to the financing of research projects: in two years our contribution exceeds € 230,000. We hope that this great effort can help to shorten the time of the discovery of a cure for SMA".
Here the Press Release:

SMA Europe is pleased to announce the award of about €650,000 for research into Spinal Muscular Atrophy – SMA, in response to its recent Call for Research Projects 2009. The seven institutions which attracted support are:
- Columbia Univerity, New York, USA, Prof. Umrao Monani: “Investigating the temporal requirements of the SMN protein in Spinal Muscular Atrophy”;
- Molecular Genetics Institute of Montpellier, France, Prof. Rémy Bordonne: “The S. pombe model organism: a tool to find suppressors of snRNP-mediated splicing defects”;
- University of Sheffield, U.K., Prof. Ke Ning e Mimoun Azzouz: “PTEN modulation effects on motor neuron axonal growth and neuromuscular junction size in spinal muscular atrophy”;
- University of Western Australia, Australia, Prof. Steve Wilton: “Antisense oligomer induced restoration of SMN expression as a therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy”;
- University of Bern, Switzerland, Dr. Rachel Nlend Nlend: “Gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy by a correction of SMN2 mRNA splicing”;
- INSERM, University of Nantes, France, Dr. Beatrice Joussemet: “Evaluation of new AAV-mediated gene therapy strategies in a feline model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy”;
- Emory University, Atlanta, USA, Dr. Claudia Fallini: “Analysis of mRNA transport and local protein synthesis in axons of SMA motor neurons”.
SMA is a rare but devastating disease. Approximately one in every 6,000 children is born with it; it is the largest genetic killer of babies and knows no national or racial boundaries. Muscle strength is gradually reduced until even breathing unassisted is not possible for those worst affected. Significant research progress has been made in recent years in understanding SMA, and much of this research has commonalities with that of other neuromuscular conditions.
SMA Europe was founded in early 2007, bringing together a group of European patient groups involved with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. All the SMA Europe representatives are affected by SMA or are parents of affected children, and have personal experience of its effects on patients and their families. Since SMA Europe’s inception, there has been a determination to combine resources in Europe in order to fund the best researchers on SMA worldwide. With the help of our Scientific Advisory Board, which includes some of the best international experts on neuromuscular diseases, we have succeeded. We sincerely hope that this first year bears fruit in the search for effective therapy for all those suffering from Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This Call for Projects is an annual event. The 2010 Call for Projects will be launched soon.

SMA Europe
http://www.sma-europe.net
e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SMA Europe member organisations:
Asociació Catalana de Enfermetats Neuromusculars (ASEM Catalunya) and Fundame – Spain
Association Française contre les Myopathies (AFM) – France
Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Muskelkranke/Initiative SMA (DGM) – Germany
Famiglie SMA – Italy
Jennifer Trust for SMA – United Kingdom
The SMA Trust – United Kingdom
Vereniging Spierziekten Nederland (VSN) – The Netherlands

(source: Famiglie SMA)