GYM (Generate Your Muscle) Project meeting
December 9, 2022, 13.00-18.00
Martin’s Rentmeesterij, Bilzen (B)
GYM: Innovative stem cell therapy for muscle repair and regeneration
Maintaining healthy muscles is essential for a healthy life, but genetic and non-genetic diseases, and ageing make muscles lose their function during life. GYM aims to develop and commercially produce an innovative stem cell therapy for the treatment of patients with reduced muscle mass, muscle power and muscle energy. The production will be transferred to a company, which will be established as result of the project.
The challenges the GYM project addresses, impact both the vulnerable population and the socio-economic status of the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. It will make the this region a leader in stem cell therapy for muscle disease, as GYM builds on the synergy between academic researchers and the biotechnology industry and on the profitable climate that has been created for regenerative medicine in this region.
The meeting will give an overview of the achievements and successes of the GYM project. We will demonstrate how GYM reaches out to the scientific community and general public and how GYM contributes to the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. During the networking drinks, it will be possible to engage with the scientists, patient representatives and business developers, to obtain more detailed knowledge on specific parts of the project and establish a foundation for future collaborations.
The GYM project team
- Clinical Genomics/Toxicogenomics, School MHeNS, University of Maastricht (Prof. Bert Smeets)
- Stem Cell Institute, University of Leuven (Prof. Maurilio Sampaolesi)
- Exercise Physiology and Sports Medical Center of Biomed, University of Hasselt (Prof. Bert Op ‘t Eijnde)
- Laboratory of Hematology for Cell and Gene Therapy, University of Liège (Prof. Yves Beguin)
- Dental Materials and Biomaterials Research, University Clinic RWTH Aachen (Prof. Horst Fischer)
- Scannexus, Maastricht (Prof. Albert Scherpbier)
- Kenko International, Bosch en Duin (Ineke Rijnhout)
GYM-Progress meeting
13.00-14.00 Healthy standing lunch
14.00-14.25 GYM Overview Bert Smeets, project leader
14.25-14.50 GYM Impact Bram Verbrugge + patient representatives
14.50-15.15 GYM in business Stephan Peters, Director Business Development BMHC
15.15-15.40 GYM in EMR TBD
15.40-16.05 Children’s book: Muscle on Wheels TBD
16.05-18.00 Networking drinks
Illustration children’s book Muscle on wheels.
