The aim of MAGIC is to accelerate the development of gene therapies and genome editing for muscular dystrophies by creating advanced humanized muscle models and innovative approaches. The goal is to improve the lives of people living with muscular dystrophies.

Each month, we gather partners from the MAGIC project to discuss aspects in relation to gene therapies. Readers will learn who the people behind the MAGIC Project are, why we are committed to advancing gene therapies, and how our roles in MAGIC are crucial for achieving better health outcomes for people living with muscular dystrophies

In brief words, please let us know who you are individually and on behalf of which project partner organization. 

I am Mariam Zouhair, a Postdoctoral Project Research Scientist at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London, working in Professor Francesco Saverio Tedesco’s laboratory. The Crick is a world-leading biomedical research institute at the forefront of scientific innovation, dedicated to uncovering the fundamental biology driving health and disease. Within this dynamic environment, our lab focuses on neuromuscular biology and regenerative medicine, with a strong emphasis on developing cutting-edge models and therapeutic strategies for muscular disorders.

Why are you participating in the MAGIC project? How can your perspectives complement the MAGIC project goal to accelerate the development of genetic therapies for muscular dystrophies? 

I joined the MAGIC project because I’m genuinely passionate about its goal to bring safe and targeted genetic therapies closer to patients living with neuromuscular disorders. With a background in neuromuscular biology and experience working with 3D engineered muscle systems, I saw MAGIC as a great opportunity to contribute with my skills in a collaborative and translational setting. I believe these advanced human models can really help us better understand how therapies work and improve how we test them, making the whole process more accurate and efficient. I’m excited to be part of a project that brings together different perspectives and expertise to tackle such an important challenge.

What have been the current challenges regarding the development of genetic therapies for muscular dystrophies for you? 

One of the biggest challenges is the limited availability of advanced and reliable human in vitro models that can truly reflect the complexity of muscle tissue and disease progression. These models are key to testing how well genetic therapies work and how safe they are, ideally before moving to animal studies or clinical trials. Another major hurdle is achieving precise delivery of these therapies, making sure they reach the right cells without triggering off-target effects or immune responses. Working in Professor Tedesco’s lab, an international reference in the field of gene and cell therapy for muscle diseases, offers the ideal setting to tackle these challenges. The lab combines cutting-edge approaches in 3D tissue engineering, gene editing, and stem cell biology, providing both the scientific tools and collaborative expertise needed to move this work forward in a meaningful way.

What are the main outcomes (direct results) you expect from the project? 

Through the collaborative framework of MAGIC, I expect we will establish high-fidelity, disease-specific human muscle models that allow us to test gene therapies more precisely. We want to identify the best delivery strategies, validate new viral vectors and gene-editing tools, and identify functional readouts that demonstrate therapeutic benefit in engineered muscle tissues.

What are the expected impacts on your organisation from participating in the project? 

MAGIC offers a valuable opportunity to contribute to and grow within an international, interdisciplinary network of leading experts in the field. It strengthens our lab’s ongoing efforts to develop next-generation platforms for gene therapy, while also giving us access to innovative tools, diverse perspectives, and complementary expertise. Being part of such a collaborative environment not only accelerates our own research but also supports the shared goal of translating fundamental discoveries into meaningful therapeutic solutions for patients.