Report and Abstracts of the 14th Meeting of IIM, the Interuniversity Institute of Myology, - Assisi (Italy), October 12-15, 2017

The 14th Meeting of the Interuniversity Institute of Myology (IIM), October 12-15, 2017 - Assisi, Italy gathered together researchers from Italy, European and North-American countries to discuss recent results on muscle research. The program showcased keynote lectures from world-renowned international speakers presenting advances in muscle physiology, bioengineering, metabolism and therapeutics. Based on selection from submitted abstracts, participants presented their novel, unpublished results in seven oral communication and two poster sessions. Particular emphasis was devoted to young trainees. For example, trainees where directly involved in organizing a scientific session and three round tables tailored to the interests of their peers. The meeting attracted a broad audience from Italy, various European countries and from North America. It offered a unique opportunity to all researchers involved in the field of muscle biology to exchange ideas and foster scientific collaborations to better understand the causative mechanisms of muscular diseases and to improve the design of more efficient therapeutic strategies. The friendly and inclusive atmosphere promoted the active participation of junior scientists to exciting discussions, which allowed to identify emerging areas of myology research and encouraged scientific cross-fertilization to facilitate exchanges between different laboratories in different countries. The meeting was a success and this community will continue to deliver major contributions to our understanding of muscle development and function, the pathogenesis of muscle diseases and the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Here, we report abstracts of the meeting discussing recent results of basic, translational and early clinical studies confirming that the field of Myology is strong and articulated, maturing toward clinical development for the treatment of muscle diseases.