Commentary on the last 25 years of Myology

The present, dedicated to the memory of a happy period of about 25 years in the history of the Myology is not a customary editorial written by the Editor of a scientific journal, but rather the memory of important events that have occurred thanks to the contribution of many world-wide Associations, most notably the Gaetano Conte Academy in Naples, that I created with my coworkers in 1991. The Academy was entitled to the Neapolitan physician who first described in 1836 the severe form of muscular dystrophy later called Duchenne muscular dystrophy and published in a Neapolitan medical journal. I remember that many enthusiastic scholars came to Sorrento twenty-three years ago to participate in the first Meeting on the therapy of muscular dystrophies. I am proud to have organized this meeting and the following in Ischia in 1993, when the Mediterranean Society of Myology (MSM) was created thanks to the contribution of 18 Countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and Yugoslavia). In parallel, in 1991 we established the G. Conte Academy Awards for the scientists who had significantly contributed to the advancement of basic and clinical research in the field of muscular dystrophies, awarding the prizes every two years. So far sixty prizes have been awarded: 19 for basic research and 20 for clinical research; 21 prizes have been awarded for social engagement in favor of patients affected by muscle diseases. During the latest MSM congress, held in Athens 31 October-2 November 2013, the G. Conte Prizes have been awarded for the twelfth time to: Karin Jurkat-Rott (Germany) and Giuseppe Novelli (Italy) for basic research and to Zohar Argov (Israel) and Giovanni Meola (Italy) for clinical contribution. However, I have two reasons more to be proud of: 1) to have pursued for 30 years the ambitious project of creating numerous scientific Societies and Associations of patients/families, and 2) to have contributed to the birth of international journals on the topic, as Acta Myologica and Neuromuscular Disorders. Acta Myologica was created tirthy-two years ago by the group of Neapolitan myologists; Neuromuscular Disorders few years later by Victor Dubowitz. During these years the group of Naples has contributed to the creation of the European NeuroMuscular Center in Baarn together with Reinhardt Rüdel from Ulm and Ysbrand Poortman from Rotterdam and of the World Muscle Society in Bologna, with Victor Dubowitz from London and Luciano Merlini from Bologna. In the same period the Asian-Oceanic Myology Center was also created. In the same time the Telethon foundation, founded in the States in 1966 on the initiative of the actor Jerry Lewis with the aim of raising funds for research into muscular dystrophy, landed in Europe, first in France and then in Italy. The solution of social problems was the aim of the emerging Associations of patients and/or parents, as EAMDA (European Alliance of Muscular Dystrophy Associations), WANDA (World Alliance of Neuromuscular Disorder Associations) and more recently TreatNMD (Translational Research in Europe – Assessment and Treatment of Neuromuscular Diseases), in particular thanks to the work of Ysbrand Poortman and Allan Bretag. An activity so structured in the world indicates the way to reach two fundamental aims: 1. The knowledge of the causes of the muscle disorders. 2. The scientific bases for an effective therapy. It is clear that all the mentioned events were fundamental for the progress in the field of Myology. I hope that young researchers will have the opportunity to read the history of Myology. To me – senior researcher – it looks like a dream that has accompanied patients, families and researchers from the total darkness of yesterday, to the light that is appearing today.