In September, Ilaria Zito from Parent Project Italy aps presented the MAGIC Project at the 21st Interuniversity Institute of Myology Meeting in Assisi, Italy.

This is an annual meeting for scientists from across the world involved in Myology research, offering the great opportunity to discuss the most recent discoveries in the field.

During the presentation titled  The role of patients’ associations in European multi-partner projects, Ilaria Zito talked about the innovative aspects of the MAGIC Project. The project aims to revolutionise the understanding and treatment of neuromuscular diseases by engineering human skeletal muscle tissue models to develop and test genetic therapies and related viral vectors.

Ilaria Zito gave an overview of Parent Project’s involvement in significant European projects. Parent Project is an association of patients with Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy. With the main goals of improving quality of life, prolonging life expectancy and finding a cure, the organization supports patients and their families throughout their journey in a multidisciplinary approach.

The scientific office is involved in many activities that work in this direction, including funding research and organizing the annual International Conference. Other less direct yet extremely powerful ways by which the organization aims at speeding up the development of new therapies and at supporting research are being generated thanks to the growing number of partnerships with different stakeholders. Parent Project is now an active part of an international network rotating around the pathology that also sees the organization involved in different important European Projects, among which the MAGIC Project.

Zito specifically highlighted the key role of patients’ organizations within the project.  She explained how among several scientists, different patients’ associations (PAs) are involved in the project as partners. The great value of this collaboration becomes apparent, she asserted, in the PAs’ role of disseminating the scientific findings in a family-friendly language and in bringing the patients’ voice back to scientists to guide them in the best direction.

About the 21st Interuniversity Institute of Myology Meeting

The 21st IIM Meeting was held in Assisi (Italy) from 4 to 7 September 2024.

The meeting brought together scientists from across the world involved in Myology research offering the great opportunity to discuss the most recent discoveries in the field. The IIM meeting is an event in which scientists, clinicians and patient representatives have the opportunity to stay together thanks to the residential formula, share results and ideas, and initiate new collaborations.

The meeting is open to all researchers from Italy and abroad, and includes a full range of academic sessions covering all the aspects of Myology, plenary lectures, poster sessions, and social/cultural events.