Trialect

+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Verified

Bridging Gaps in Advancing Human Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)

Overview

MDA invites applications for innovative, multidisciplinary research projects aimed at advancing our understanding of human skeletal muscle regeneration. This RFA seeks to address critical knowledge gaps identified by leading experts in muscle biology, with the ultimate goal of guiding effective therapeutic strategies to restore muscle function in individuals affected by advanced muscle weakness and wasting caused by neuromuscular disease.

Background

Recent therapeutic advancements have primarily focused on preventing or slowing muscle loss in neuromuscular diseases. However, these treatments offer limited benefits to patients who have already experienced significant muscle degeneration. There is an urgent need to develop strategies that can regenerate lost muscle tissue and restore functionality.

On July 19, 2024, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) joined with partners in the advocacy field (AFM Telethon, Cure Duchenne, Cure Rare Disease, FSHD Society, Jain Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Australia, RYR-1 Foundation, SMA Foundation and Solve FSHD) to host a summit on muscle regeneration. The summit provided a focused opportunity for leading muscle biology experts to identify and discuss current hurdles and new strategies that can benefit people struggling with advanced muscle weakness and degeneration. The main challenges and opportunities raised by experts at our summit can be categorized into the following areas:

Translational gap from mouse to human
Lack of access to patient biospecimens for studies of regeneration
Gaps in knowledge of how healthy muscles develop and regenerate
Biomarkers and clinical read-outs of regeneration to measure in clinical trials

A full meeting report summarizing the discussions from our muscle regeneration summit can be found here.

This RFA aims to catalyze research that addresses these critical areas, fostering collaborations that bridge basic science and clinical application.

Establishing Biomarkers and Clinically Translatable Outcome Measures

Investigate advanced imaging modalities (e.g. MRI, MSOT) to monitor and visualize cell engraftment and/or muscle regeneration.
Define biomarkers that reflect different phases of muscle regeneration and/or engraftment for cell therapies.
Investigate the utility of fine needle aspirates, biofluids, and non-invasive imaging as alternatives to muscle biopsies in studies of muscle regeneration.

Key Dates:

RFA Open: December 16, 2025
Letter of Intent Due: February 28, 2025
Application Due: April 15, 2025
Start date: September 1, 2025

Funding:

The award(s) will be $100,000 per year over a two-year period

Application Instructions:

Letters of intent (LOI) will be required for screening of project relevance before invitation to submit a full application.
Applicants are encouraged to reach out to the research team (grants@mdausa.org) to discuss additional related ideas and topics that are not covered above.
To view application instructions, log in to MDA’s online grants management system, ProposalCentral.

Specialties

Neurosciences

Others

Eligibility Requirements

Research Focus Areas

Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that align with one or more of the following focus areas. Studies that utilize human-derived materials or can demonstrate clinical translatability are preferred.

Improve understanding of regeneration in skeletal muscle tissue

Study the time course and kinetics of muscle regeneration following controlled injury or degeneration in healthy and/or diseased human tissue.
Analyze muscle tissue to map regenerative processes at the fiber, cellular and nuclear level; bridging findings in preclinical models to humans
Examine how different neuromuscular diseases and genetics affect regenerative capacity in humans.
Investigate the role of the muscle matrix, including fibrotic and fatty tissue components, in supporting or hindering regeneration in neuromuscular disease.
Analyze the influence of soluble factors and surrounding fluids on muscle stem cell activity and differentiation.
Develop and utilize humanized models of muscle regeneration that better reflect human physiology and disease progression.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)

Sponsor Type:

Address: 1016 W Jackson Blvd #1073 Chicago, Illinois 60607 800-572-1717 | ResourceCenter@mdausa.org

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity