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 : Professor Umrao Monani
• Molecular Genetics Institute of Montpellier, France : Professor Rémy Bordonne
• The University of Sheffield, UK : Professors Ke Ning and Mimoun Azzouz
• University of Western Australia, Australia : Professor Steve Wilton
• University of Bern, Switzerland : post-doctoral fellow Dr Rachel Nlend Nlend
• INSERM, Université de Nantes, France : post-doctoral fellow Dr Beatrice Joussemet
• Emory University, Atlanta, USA : post-doctoral fellow Dr Claudia Fallini

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 :
A non-profit organization registered under the German law http://www.sma-europe.net/

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

For further information contact : SMA-EUROPE@afm.genethon.fr