Reading Time: 3 minutes In June we hosted the second MND EnCouRage UK event for early career researchers (ECRs) which aims to support them to continue working in the field of MND. The event included lots of talks and workshops from senior researchers to provide tips and advice on moving forward in their careers and help them to develop…
Reading Time: 3 minutes My name is Sara Tacconelli and I grew up in a small town in Abruzzo, Italy, and I was raised in a nurturing environment, surrounded by love and affection from my family and friends. I always had a passion for science and as I grew older, a strong desire to dedicate my life to a meaningful cause emerged within me- a desire to somehow make a difference in the lives of others.
Reading Time: 5 minutes Hi everyone! My name’s Katie and I recently joined the Association as a Supporter Information Officer. My role offers me a unique perspective as I am in both the Research Team and the Development Team, which is part of Fundraising. Alongside our brilliant Research Team, I will be writing for the MND Research Blog on…
Reading Time: 6 minutes MND is a complex disease, and the causes are still not fully understood. Researchers all around the world are working tirelessly on different theories to try to understand more about what causes MND and how to treat it. One theory is that MND is caused by the activation of ancient viruses which are hidden within…
Reading Time: 5 minutes Recent research, led by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and University of Dundee, has identified abnormalities in a type of brain cell called microglia in MND associated with mutations in the C9orf72 gene. It has been suggested for a long time that motor neurons may not be the only type of cell involved in…
Reading Time: 5 minutes ALS is the most common form of MND and these terms are used interchangeably in this blog. MND is a complex disease, with many potential environmental and genetic factors that could lead to its development. Because of these underlying genetic causes, one promising option for treatment is gene therapy. Gene therapies target mistakes within the…
Reading Time: 6 minutes Recent research, led by Professor Guillaume Hautbergue at the University of Sheffield, has found a potential new method of preventing nerve cell death in the most common genetic form of MND. This new method could, with further studies, lead to the development of a potential therapy for C9orf72 MND, and a type of dementia called…
Reading Time: 5 minutes Research into MND has increased over recent years and we now have a greater understanding of what is happening within the body during the disease. Only by understanding what is happening within the cells during the disease, will researchers discover the right targets to hit in the development of potential treatments. There is still a…
Reading Time: 4 minutes In 2021, the MND Association, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and medical research charity LifeArc established a joint fund – the Motor Neuron Disease Translational Fund – to support translational research in motor neurone disease. In January 2023, £1 million was awarded to researchers at University College London (UCL) to progress two promising new therapies,…
Reading Time: 7 minutes Shyuan’s talk was titled ‘Investigating the role of hypermetabolism in ALS’ (C06 in the abstract book) and discussed the research being carried out by her team to try and understand the mechanisms driving hypermetabolism in ALS and what hypermetabolism means clinically for people living with the disease. This blog details Shyuan’s work and looks closely at her observations on hypermetabolism in relation to ALS.
