A new study by Prof Will McEwan and Dr Sophie Sanford (UK DRI at Cambridge) has revealed that type-I interferons, a part of the innate immune response, may increase the build up of misfolded toxic tau protein in Alzheimer’s, and could provide a new avenue for disease therapeutics. The study is published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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The UK DRI exists to improve the lives of people affected by dementia. By involving people who have lived experience in our research, we can ensure new treatments and technologies meet the needs of those affected. Whilst the UK DRI has always engaged people with lived experience in its research, a new initiative at the UK DRI Care Research & Technology Centre aims to take this one step further.
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Returning to Brighton for a second year, our annual conference Connectome took place earlier this month. More than 600 UK DRI researchers from our seven centres across the UK gathered together for an event packed full of exciting talks, poster sessions, and networking opportunities.
In a study led by Dr Nir Grossman (UK DRI at Imperial), scientists have developed a new form of deep brain stimulation that does not require surgery and could provide an alternative treatment option for brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
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In an exciting new project, Dr Kat Bowles (UK DRI at Edinburgh) will investigate the workings of a little-known gene which may play a role in the development of Parkinson’s. This work could deliver new targets for Parkinson’s treatments.
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AstronauTx, a biotech company founded by a group including UK DRI researchers, aiming to develop novel treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, today announced the completion of a £48 million ($61 million) Series A financing.
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Connectome 2023 saw the return of the recognition prizes, introduced last year on the UK DRI’s 5th anniversary, to recognise the efforts and achievements of staff across the Institute over the past year. The prizes were awarded by UK DRI Director Prof Siddharthan Chandran in the closing remarks of the conference, highlighting those individuals excelling in the categories of computational reproducibility, 3R’s, imaging, posters and engagement.
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We are at a crucial point in dementia research, with the promise of further scientific breakthroughs around the corner, which – with the right investment into research – could lead to rapid, transformational progress in the coming years. To capitalise on this, it is essential that we now double down on our efforts. As World Alzheimer’s Month 2023 draws to a close, the time is now to build on this momentum, and ensure we bring new treatments into reality for all affected by dementia.
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Huntington’s disease is an area of high unmet clinical need, with no effective treatments available to stop or slow the progression of the disease. New Group Leader Dr Tom Massey joins the UK DRI at Cardiff where, as a clinician scientist, he wants to bridge the gap between the lab and the clinic, developing new therapeutic targets for Huntington’s disease (HD) and related conditions.
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Involving people with lived experience of dementia is essential to ensuring that our research meets the most pressing needs of people affected, and that interventions for dementia are as accessible, usable, and effective as possible. In this article, we showcase some of the amazing work people who have lived experience have done at the UK DRI, and the impact it has made.
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In the past year, we have seen unprecedented progress in Alzheimer’s research, as two new drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, showed for the first time that the disease can be slowed. However, many challenges and questions remain around the drugs. In this article, Prof Sir John Hardy and Prof Bart De Strooper take a closer look at some of these issues – asking what we can learn from lecanemab and donanemab to take forward and develop safer, more effective treatments.
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A research team led by Prof Bart De Strooper (UK DRI at UCL and VIB-KU Leuven) and Dr Sriram Balusu (VIB-KU Leuven) has finally discovered how neurons die in Alzheimer’s disease. Subject of scientific discussion for the past decades, a breakthrough research paper published in Science illustrates how neurons initiate a programmed form of cell death, known as necroptosis, when they are exposed to amyloid plaques and tau tangles – the hallmark misfolded proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s.
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Alzheimer’s research is gaining ground. Recently, two new drugs - lecanemab and donanemab - have proven to significantly slow the spread of the disease in clinical trials. Both drugs work by removing amyloid, a toxic protein in the brain linked with Alzheimer’s. But targeting other factors alongside amyloid may lead to a more comprehensive and effective therapy programme. In this article, we will discuss some of these promising targets.
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A new study by Prof Paul Matthews (UK DRI at Imperial) and colleagues reveals that a widely used marker of inflammation does not accurately reflect neurodegeneration in humans, as previously thought. The study is published in Nature Communications.
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Today (7 September) the Government has confirmed that the UK will associate to Horizon Europe through a new bespoke agreement with the EU.
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Dementia research is at a turning point. Two new drugs have demonstrated for the first time that the progress of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed. This is momentous news for the millions of people affected by dementia, but these drugs are just the start of the story. This World Alzheimer’s Month, we’re taking a closer look at some of the gaps that still exist in our understanding of dementia, and how researchers at the UK DRI are filling them.
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In this feature piece, PhD student Emma Bunting (UK DRI at UCL) explores journalist Charles Sabine's experiences with Huntington's disease, his advocacy work, and the value of interaction between researchers and people with lived experience of neurodegenerative diseases.
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A new study led by Dr Soyon Hong (UK DRI at UCL) has revealed fresh insight into the protective role of microglia, the brain’s resident immune cells, in early Alzheimer’s disease. The research could provide future therapeutic targets for the condition.
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The strategic framework for the Major Conditions Strategy rightly focuses on many of the things that matter most in the fight against dementia: improving prevention, facilitating early diagnosis, and enabling people living with the condition to live better, more independent lives. In the UK DRI’s submission to the Major Conditions Strategy consultation, we outlined some of the ways our researchers are working to improve diagnosis, care and prevention. Read our full submission.
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A new project led by Dr Shlomi Haar (UK DRI Care Research & Technology Centre) will test whether a sock which combines sensors with artificial intelligence could help carers detect agitation and prevent falls in people with dementia.
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