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New £1.3m research consortium for spinal muscular atrophy

General Research

Oxford University will lead a new collaborative initiative for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) research in the UK over the next 3 years. The programme is funded by the SMA Trust.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

The SMA Trust, founded in 2003, is the only UK charity solely focussed on funding research into finding a cure and treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy. SMA is caused by a faulty gene that affects nerve cells needed to control the muscles we use for moving, swallowing and breathing. 1 in 40 of us is a carrier and in the most severe cases (50% of those affected), children rarely live beyond 2 years old – making SMA the leading genetic cause of death in babies and toddlers.

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