The European Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Consortium was founded more than 30 years ago, when the major CMT neuropathy causing mutation, the CMT1A duplication on chromosome 17, was discovered. The CMT consortium was partly funded through an EU-BIOMED2 project which allowed it to bring together CMT researchers from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. From 1991 to 2001, 5 conferences were held in Antwerp – Belgium. Afterwards, a conference was organized every two years, alternating with the North American CMT Consortium, allowing colleagues from different continents to attend. Both consortia grew into the International CMT Consortium. The number of participants steadily increased and reaching almost 200.
During these conferences we strived to cover all aspects of CMT research; molecular genetics, neurobiology, clinical neurology, neurophysiology, neuropathology, cell and animal models and therapeutic approaches. All participants were eligible for oral or poster presentation, and priority was given to young researchers and physicians. The aim was to exchange new research results (before publication) and to strengthen collaboration between research groups. The scientific program (two and a half days) provided sufficient time for discussion after each presentation, extensive poster sessions and discussions during the breaks.
The 5th International CMT Congress of 2013 became a satellite meeting of the biennial meeting of the Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS in Saint-Malo, France). The dates of both meetings were aligned to allow participants to reduce their travel costs. Abstracts were published in The Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System (JPNS is the official journal of the PNS). Because of organizational reasons, the next biennial International CMT consortia meetings were integrated as a special interest group, the CMTR (CMT and related neuropathies), within the Peripheral Nerve Society.
Given the rapid developments in the CMT research field, the 2025 second European CMT Specialist Conference in Antwerp will follow the needs formulated during the European CMT Federation’s 1st European CMT Specialist Conference held in Paris in 2023, and by the recently created ECRA foundation. With the 2025 conference, we aim to boost structured interdisciplinary research cooperation, including patient advocacy groups and industry, and to organize networking towards EU funding opportunities through joint projects, rather than competing with the CMTR special interest group within the Peripheral Nerve Society, to where most participants adhere already.