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Our Impact in Research

GRANTING $16 MILLION ACROSS 56 RESEARCH PROJECTS WORLDWIDE

1985
Since Canadian Researcher Dr. Ronald Worton co-discovered the gene for Duchenne, the average life expectancy of a child with Duchenne has increased from late teens to close to 30.
1985
1994
When Jesse's Journey was founded, there were no clinical trials targeting Duchenne and no approved treatments.
1994
1996 – 2001
Jesse Davidson Post-Doctoral Fellowships were awarded to researchers focused on gene therapy, making significant contributions to this area of study.
1996 – 2001
2008
Jesse's Journey becomes the only Canadian charity to provide support as a founding partner of the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CN DR), Canada's first patient database that facilitates research in Duchenne.
2008
2010
Researchers supported by Jesse's Journey prove the gene responsible for Duchenne can be repaired.
2010
2013
Researchers supported by Jesse's Journey identify a sequence in the dystrophin gene that is essential for helping muscle tissues function-a breakthrough labelled as finding a "needle in a haystack".
2013
2015
Researchers supported by Jesse's Journey become the first to create a dystrophin "microgene'' that is improving muscle function in dogs and may soon be ready for clinical trials in patients.

Researchers supported by Jesse's Journey discover Duchenne is a stem cell disease which will lead to further drug targets for Duchenne.
2015
2016
More that 25 clinical trials targeting Duchenne are now underway involving boys at clinics across Canada.
2016
2018
Researchers supported by Jesse's Journey begin to utilize the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology.
2018
2019
Researchers supported by Jesse's Journey conducted phase 1/11 clinical trial delivering myoblasts to Duchenne patients.
2019
2020
Jesse's Journey hits its highest funding year to date and, for the first time, grants $1 million dollars to clinical trials in Canada.

Jesse's Journey funds novel research focused on improving the delivery of gene therapies (supporting a high unmet need of the Duchenne population with point mutations), and funds the first grant toward patient care and sexual health.
2020
2021
Jesse's Journey continues to exceed our number of granting applications each year, attracting research proposals from leading Duchenne researchers from all over the world.
2021