Research in SMA rare disease (spinal muscular atrophy)

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare progressive neuromuscular condition and is characterised by a wide spectrum of how severely children and adults are affected.

SMA may affect daily activities such as breathing, eating, hugging, grabbing, nodding, sitting and walking.

Currently, there are 3 SMA medicines. However, SMA still has no cure.

Research in SMA is vital.

SMA Europe launches Calls for SMA Research Proposals every other year. The research is ALWAYS patient-relevant and focused on real needs of people living with SMA.

The most recent Call for SMA research projects is open to research proposals that address the needs of people who live with SMA and demonstrate a clear pathway to impacting those in the short or longer term. In particular, priority will be given to projects concentrating on the following areas: 

- Reviving the motor unit in patients with SMA with a specific interest for the role of NMJ (dys)function (including skeletal muscle and development/developmental vulnerability of motor neurons in the spinal cord/brain stem).
- Biomarkers within and beyond the neuromuscular system.
- How metabolism is affected in SMA and how this might influence peripheral organs.

The funds we will get through Betterplace.org will help to keep our Call for Research sustainable and cover, partially, the costs of the coordinating team. Without them it's impossible to keep the call going. Without our Call for Research, no other European organisation will fund research on spinal muscular atrophy.