14 August 2006

From the 2nd – 7 July the 11 International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases took place in Istanbul. This event only happens every four years and is a major platform for scientists interested in muscle function and disease, to meet one another and discuss the latest scientific results. Dr. Marita Pohlschmidt, the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Research Director visited the conference and has given an account of the event:

“Nearly a thousand researchers attended the XIth International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases, to present and discuss the newest developments in the field of muscle disease. Basic science met clinical expertise and together we reflected upon the accomplishments achieved since the last congress in 2002 in Vancouver.

Listening to the lectures, it quickly became evident that science has made a significant transition in the last four years. Previously the science focused on finding the genes responsible for muscle disease and understanding how muscles function, but now potential approaches for treatments are being identified.

A satellite symposium, dedicated to researching potential new drugs to treat muscular dystrophies, raised hope among the attendees and it was great to see that two of the six researchers presenting this section – Prof K. Davies and Prof D. Rubinsztein –are long standing grantees of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. Prof F. Muntoni, another grantee, talked about the clinical trial he is leading, using “molecular patches” to treat Duchenne, and it was reassuring to learn that several other groups in the Netherlands, France and in the US are planning, or are already testing, a slightly modified approach of the same technique.

The symposium was fascinating and it gave me a real insight into exactly how far research has come in recent years. It gave hope to the scientific community in this field, and made us feel optimistic for the progress that will have been achieved by the next symposium in 2010".