Skip to content

The MAGIC consortium project

Innovation and partnership are behind everything we do to ensure research is given every chance to succeed, and we’re delighted to be part of the MAGIC consortium project.

We joined the consortium as a partner institution in 2023. The consortium is a network of 17 institutions across the UK, Europe and the US. It’s funded by the European Union, the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through Horizon Europe, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) for a four-year period.

Consortium aim

The aim of the consortium is to speed up the development of gene therapies and genome editing therapeutic approaches for muscular dystrophies, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), Collagen VI-related congenital muscular dystrophy, X-linked myotubular myopathy and laminopathies.

Project goals

The MAGIC consortium uses several scientific approaches and combines expertise in genetics, bioengineering and clinical translation. By combining these approaches, the aim is to achieve the following research goals over a four-year funding period:

    • Create muscle models with condition-specific symptoms that resemble the human condition, also called humanised models.

    • Develop gene therapies and genome editing approaches to treat muscle wasting conditions

    • Produce condition-specific muscle-on-chip devices. These are small devices that allow artificial lab-grown muscles to act as if they were in the human body

    • Test if the new gene therapies are safe and work how they should in a laboratory setting

    • Explore new approaches to developing gene editing therapies for muscle wasting conditions

    • Make the transition from laboratory studies to clinical trials easier by working closely with stakeholders, such as people with lived experience, regulators and, if possible, companies who could take the work on to the next level.

Through collaboration, innovation, and a focus on patients’ well-being, the MAGIC project aims to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those living with these conditions by speeding up the development of treatments for muscle wasting conditions.

Together with the other MAGIC institutions, we’ll be spreading the word about the consortium to people living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions, their families, carers, and the wider public. Importantly, we will make sure that our communities and the public can find out about the goals, progress and outcomes of the MAGIC research project.

Funders

EU flag
EU

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union and HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

UKRI logo
UKRI

This work is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee grant numbers 10080927, 10079726, 10082354 and 10078461.

SERI logo
SERI

This work has received funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

Stay connected with our community

Get the latest news, inspiring stories, upcoming events, and valuable support services delivered straight to your inbox.