21st Aug 2011: 'RECYCLING' PROBLEM MAY BE KEY IN CAUSING MND 24th May 2010: NEW STEM CELL RESEARCH PROGRAMME 7th May 2010: IMPORTANT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT 17th Feb 2010: CAMPAIGN FOR A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR MND SOME GREAT NEWS! RECENT BRANCH NEWSLETTERS The Newsletters are in .pdf format. If you haven't already got it on your computer, you can - Get Adobe Acrobat Reader Here (Free!)
Researchers at Northwestern University, Chicago have discovered what seems to be a common causal factor in all forms of MND, which involves degradation of the cell protein recycling function in the motor neurones. Mutations in the UBQLN 2 gene are responsible, and researchers think these are present in all forms of MND, unlike other genes which have hitherto been found to carry mutations which are present only in specific types of MND.
This is therefore likely to be a productive target for future study.
To find out more, please click
And, for the item in the MNDA research blog, click
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The MND Association has announced that it is funding a £800,000 three year stem cell research programme. Involving four of the world's leading authorities, this programme should increase understanding of why specific nerves die in a person with MND, and thus will advance progress towards the ultimate goal of developing a treatment.
To find out more, please click
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Chicago researchers have found clumps of the ‘FUS’ protein in motor neurones both of people with familial MND, AND of people with sporadic MND.
Dr Brian Dickie, our director of research development says that:
"This research adds weight to the opinion of many scientists that we may at last be homing in on some of the key pivotal disease processes that are occurring in MND.
It is looking like TDP-43 and FUS proteins represent a ‘smoking gun’
in most forms of the disease."
To read more, please see our 'News in research' article
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Today, a campagn was launched to improve the quality of care for MND sufferers. Spearheading it is Chris Woodhead (former Chief Inspector of Schools), who was diagnosed with MND in 2006. At the moment, standards of care vary widely across the country, and end-of-life care in particular needs to be improved. Please have a look at the press release
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A major new £4.6 million research initiative involving leading MND scientists has been announced by the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council.
For more information, click
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