Grant success for motor neurone therapies
Congratulations to Professor Tom Gillingwater on his grant success from MND Scotland for developing new therapies to protect motor neurones against the many forms of Motor Neurone Disease.
This project will use a combination of different MND models to test whether modifying ‘energy-related genes’ will help protect motor neurones from deteriorating in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The project has three specific aims that will
1) establish whether targeting one ‘key’ energy-related gene (known as PGK1) with a known and approved drug has therapeutic benefits in model of SMA;
2) identify other potential ‘key’ energy related genes that could be therapeutically targeted to prevent motor neurones against MND;
3) establish whether the energy-related genes researchers have found to protect motor neurones in SMA are also capable of protecting motor neurons in models of two distinct forms of ALS (caused by defects in genes for C9orf72 and TDP-43).
The range of treatment options available to patients with MND remains small. It is critical that we continue efforts to identify new therapeutic targets, and develop appropriate drugs and treatments for this devastating condition. We are, therefore, massively grateful to MND Scotland and their supporters for funding this exciting and innovative project, that we have designed to specifically generate therapy options for patients with MND.
Related links
Prof Tom Gillingwater's staff profile
The Euan Macdonald Centre website
Centre for Integrative Physiology