‘Heart-on-a-chip’ project to help researchers study BMD, DMD

Duchenne Parent Project Spain has allocated €247,000 (about $290,000) to develop a 'heart-on-a-chip' model for studying cardiac damage in Duchenne (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). The project, led by Juan Manuel Fernández at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), will create a 3D lab platform mimicking human heart tissue, equipped with sensors to detect fibrosis and test therapies. The initiative, named BEAT, seeks to improve cardiac care by replicating disease pathology in both mice and patients. Marisol Montolio, director of research at Duchenne Parent Project Spain, emphasized that the model will reduce animal use while enabling real-time monitoring of heart damage and drug testing. An advisory committee of DMD families will guide the project to ensure alignment with patient needs. DMD and BMD are caused by dystrophin deficiency, leading to progressive muscle and heart damage. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in DMD patients, making this research critical. The project also aims to support broader cardiac research beyond muscular dystrophies. In addition to the funding, a crowdfunding campaign is underway to further support the BEAT Project. Silvia Ávila, president of Duchenne Parent Project Spain, highlighted the dual meaning of BEAT: representing both the heartbeat and the mission to defeat cardiomyopathy in these diseases.