Fulbright Scholar, Dr Reghan Foley collaborates with Dr Jane English on muscular dystrophy biomarker discovery project

29 Jan 2024

Dr Jane English, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and INFANT, welcomed Fulbright Scholar Awardee Dr Reghan Foley to UCC, and the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience research labs where they will work on a collaborative study of proteomic profiles of congenital muscular dystrophy samples from NIH and healthy control samples from the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort. 

Thanks to a Fulbright Scholar Award, Dr Reghan Foley, a Senior Research Physician in the Neuromuscular and Neurogenetic Disorders of Childhood Section, Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Maryland (USA), is currently at UCC for a 9-month collaborative biomarker discovery project with UCC/CUH’s INFANT Centre and the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, using samples collected at the NIH in infants and young children with congenital muscular dystrophies and control samples from the INFANT biobank. Dr Foley is working with Professor Deirdre Murray of INFANT to study miRNA profiles and Dr Jane English of the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and INFANT to study proteomic profiles of patients with COL6 and LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophies and healthy control samples from the Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort. 

The identification and validation of biomarkers for congenital muscle diseases which are disease-specific and which may reflect potential therapeutic changes is essential, given the promising therapies in preclinical development seeking to address unmet therapeutic needs for COL6 and LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophies. This collaborative research project extends UCC’s extensive academic international partnerships and builds on the INFANT Centre’s well-established track record of research in the central nervous system of the newborn and infant, extending INFANTS miRNA and proteomic biomarker research efforts to the area of the peripheral nervous system/the neuromuscular system in infancy and childhood.

The identification and validation of biomarkers would improve the chance of success of future clinical trials for patients with COL6 and LAMA2-related congenital muscular dystrophies, which are anticipated in the next few years. The generous support of this biomarker research project by the patient and family non-profit organizations: Cure CMD (USA), Col6 Fund (USA), Noelia Foundation (Spain), LAMA2 France, ImpulsaT (Spain), Voor Sara (Netherlands) and CMDTR (Turkey) is a testament to the strong commitment of these patient organizations in supporting and collaborating with physicians and scientists to advance progress in the field and prepare for upcoming clinical trials.

The Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience Future Ageing and Brain Sciences Seminar series is delighted to have Dr Reghan Foley present her work on Tuesday 30th January 2024, in a lecture 'COL6-Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophies' see below for further details.

Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience Future Ageing And Brain Sciences Seminar

Who: Dr Reghan Foley Dr Reghan Foley – INFANT (infantcentre.ie)

What: COL6-Related Congenital Muscular Dystrophies

When: Tuesday 30^th of January at 1pm

Where: Room G08, Western Gateway Building

All are welcome

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Photograph and news item Bereniece Riedewald