Over $500,000 Awarded for ALS and Mitochondrial Myopathies Research

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA; Chicago, IL) has partnered with the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM-Téléthon; Evry, France) to award a total of $510,000 in grant funding across 2 research projects. The grant funding is intended to accelerate the development of treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and mitochondrial myopathies and will be awarded to 2 recipients: Michele Brischigliaro, PhD from the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami and Eran Hornstein, MD, PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Michele Brischigliaro will receive $210,000 for a 3-year project titled “Aberrant mt-mRNA folding as mediator of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies.” This research will focus on the ATP6 and ATP8 genes, investigating how errors in the function of these 2 genes is related to the development of mitochondrial diseases with the aim of identifying new approaches to therapy.

Eran Hornstein, MD, PhD will receive $300,000 for a 3-year project titled “microRNA as biomarkers for phenoconversion in pre-familial ALS.” This research will focus on advancing the use of microRNAs to serve as biomarkers for earlier diagnosis for ALS, enabling new strategies for treatment.

“We are pleased to partner with AFM-Téléthon to support these two excellent researchers whose work holds such promise for the neuromuscular disease community,” said Sharon Hesterlee, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer of the MDA. “These grants will enable us to take crucial steps forward in understanding the underlying mechanisms of these diseases, leading to new and innovative treatments that can significantly improve patients’ lives.”