The Neuromuscular Disease Network for Canada

Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) recently announced the recipients of its annual Neuromuscular Research Grants competition. Through these grants, MDC is investing $900,000 into clinical and translational research projects focused on managing healthcare, understanding diagnosis and disease progression, enhancing care, discovering novel treatments and therapies and moving research towards the development of cures. 

This year, the funded studies focus on Spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, dysferlinopathies, limb-girdle muscular dystrophies, immune-mediated myopathies, autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) and cross-cutting research with findings that will inform a wide range of neuromuscular disorders. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of their supporters, MDC was able to invest $63,630 towards an innovative natural history study led by NMD4C investigator Dr. Hernan Gonorazky on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, bringing the organization’s investment in research projects close to $1 million. 

Congratulations to NMD4C investigators Dr. Rashmi Kothary and Dr. Gerald Pfeffer, whose respective projects “Maternal transfer of AAV vectors: a minimally invasive approach to deliver SMN-gene therapy for SMA” and “Single nucleus RNAseq biomarkers in adult-onset muscle diseases” are among those that received MDC funding. 

Read the press release from MDC for the full list of funded projects!