A co-funding collaboration between CMTA|STAR and Uplifting Athletes

GLENOLDEN, PENNSYLVANIA, USA, March 31, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association | Strategy to Accelerate Research (CMTA-STAR) announced a $20,000 grant March 31 that will enable Timothy Hines, PhD, of the Jackson Laboratory to establish human cell-based models of tRNA synthetase-associated Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

A collaboration between the CMTA-STAR and Uplifting Athletes, the award was presented to Hines by John Lovett, who most recently played with the Green Bay Packers, at the Uplifting Athletes Young Investigator Draft. Uplifting Athletes is a non-profit focused on using the platform of college football to shine a spotlight on rare diseases while simultaneously providing student-athletes a valuable leadership experience.

CMT is a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that kills the long, or peripheral, nerves to the hands and feet. As the nerves die, the muscles around them follow suit. Some 3 million people worldwide have CMT, approximately 150,000 in the United States alone, making it the most common inherited disease of the peripheral nervous system. It is caused by mutations in more than 100 different genes. While much effort has been devoted to gene discovery, there are still no viable treatments for any form of CMT.

The primary goal of this project is to uncover the mutated genes that cause CMT at the cellular level in order to identify therapeutic strategies.

To read more about CMTA-STAR research, visit https://www.cmtausa.org/our-research/.

About CMTA-STAR:
CMTA-STAR is dedicated to accelerating research into the development of new drugs and treatments for CMT by funding more grants than any other philanthropic organization. CMTA-STAR brings together the world’s largest network of biotech research partners, research scientists and clinicians to work with the patient community, increasing the likelihood of finding a cure.

In addition to driving research forward, the CMTA provides education, resources and support to patients via print publications, social media platforms and virtual meetings.

The CMTA’s research and community services have earned it Charity Navigator’s top 4-star rating two years in a row, as well as a perfect 100 percent score for governance and transparency for the last seven years.

Marcia Semmes
Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association
+1 443-631-1859
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