Created in 1996 under the impetus of AFM-Telethon, the Institute of Myology is largely funded by Telethon donations. A centre for research, care and teaching on muscle and its diseases, it currently participates in around 60 clinical trials.
AFM-Telethon’s objective in creating the Institute of Myology was to promote the existence and recognition of myology as a discipline in its own right. The Institute therefore set itself several missions:
- Combine efficient investigative means for diagnosis and treatment
- Develop coordinated clinical research programs
- Participate in the development of new therapies and be a reference centre for clinical trials
- Provide families a welcome, an attentive ear and adapted medical expertise
- Train and inform to raise awareness and recognition of these diseases
Expertise
With 300 physicians, researchers, engineers, paramedics, doctoral and post-doctoral fellows and other experts, the Institute of Myology brings together diverse and complementary skills from basic research to treatments:
- Basic research: genetics and pathophysiology, pre-clinical and clinical therapeutic approaches, biotherapies for neuromuscular diseases
- Evaluation of muscle strength and function
- Functional exploration by spectrometry and imaging
- Clinical and genetic diagnostics of neuromuscular diseases
- Medical management
- Management of clinical databases
- Distribution of biosamples for Research (Myobank)
- Participation and implementation of studies and clinical trials (31 protocols in progress)
- Basic research: genetics and pathophysiology, preclinical and clinical therapeutic approaches, biotherapies for neuromuscular diseases
- Evaluation of muscle strength and function
- Functional investigation using spectrometry and imaging
- Clinical and genetic diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases
- Medical care and psychological support (Myocare centre, created in 2024)
- Management of clinical databases
- Provision of tissue for research (Myobank-AFM: more than 34,700 samples stored)
- Participation in and implementation of studies and clinical trials (45 adult trials and 15 paediatric trials ongoing in 2025)
- Teaching
Highlights in 2025
The project to transform the Association Institut de Myologie (AIM) into a Foundation reached a decisive milestone in 2025 with the laying of the foundation stone for the 10,000 m² building that will house it, located next to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. The world’s first foundation entirely dedicated to muscle research, its ambition will be to study, diagnose, evaluate and treat muscle in all its forms, at every stage of life.
