Treatments Archives - Page 2 of 15

Investigating differences in protein production in MND

19 October 202319 October 2023Research Development Team

Reading Time: 4 minutes My name is Dr Hannah Smith, and I’m a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh. My project is supervised by Professor Tom Gillingwater, and my work is funded by MND Scotland. My current research focuses on comparing healthy motor neurons and those with MND/ALS, specifically focusing on early changes to the cellular machinery and how the motor neurons produce the proteins they need to function. I’ll discuss the specifics of that, and why we are interested in finding out this information, in the next section.

The challenges of MND clinical trials

21 September 20232 October 2023Charlotte Roy

Reading Time: 6 minutes On the 8 September 2023, members of the Research Development team at the MND Association attended the 4th UCL Queen Square Motor Neuron Disease Centre International Symposium. Leading international researchers were invited to speak about key areas of MND research, with a focus on translational research. We listened to talks on early laboratory research and…

A stepping stone to becoming future leaders in MND research

12 September 202312 September 2023Eleanor Green1 Comment

Reading Time: 6 minutes MND is a very complex disease and collaboration within the research community is key to building on our current understanding of the disease biology and finding effective treatments. The MND Association recognises the importance of expanding the dedicated MND research workforce, as well as supporting those who are already working in the field. To fund…

ANQUR: A new clinical trial in the UK for MND

7 September 20237 September 2023Eleanor Green

Reading Time: 6 minutes QurAlis, a biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicines for MND and other neurodegenerative diseases, has announced the opening of a clinical trial in the UK. This trial of a gene therapy, called QRL-201, is a phase 1 trial in people with MND and will test the therapy to determine whether it is safe and…

Harnessing the power of plants

17 August 202317 August 2023Mandy Spencer

Reading Time: 12 minutes Despite decades of research, we still do not fully understand why some people get MND, but studies in cell and animal models of the disease suggest that astrocytes and microglia cells are key players in the process, and a potential target for new therapies to moderate oxidative stress, reduce mitochondrial damage, and limit glutamate excitotoxicity…

Can placebo groups be reduced in MND clinical trials?

3 August 20233 August 2023Charlotte Roy

Reading Time: 7 minutes Clinical trials are vital in the hunt for effective treatments of motor neurone disease. They provide the evidence needed to determine whether a drug is safe and effective. In trials, participants are randomly assigned to receive either the treatment or a dummy drug, also known as a placebo. While this group is crucially important in…

Highlights from MND EnCouRage UK 2023

27 July 202327 July 2023Research Development Team1 Comment

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…

Taking a look behind the scenes of clinical trials in MND

19 July 202319 July 2023Eleanor Green

Reading Time: 5 minutes The MND clinical trial landscape has grown vastly over the last decade and this has led to increased opportunities for people with MND to take part in research across the globe. Behind these trials, sit a large number of highly dedicated staff at each trial site who make sure the trial is set-up, recruiting and…

EXPERTS-ALS: a new drug testing platform from the UK MND Research Institute

21 June 202321 June 2023Eleanor Green

Reading Time: 6 minutes MND is a very complex disease, and in the UK there is still only one approved treatment so the need for more effective treatments remains at the forefront of MND research. There have been over 140 clinical trials for MND over the last several decades and the majority of these have, unfortunately, not led to…

Keeping MND-SMART moving

19 June 202319 June 2023Eleanor Green

Reading Time: 5 minutes The current pace of clinical trials means that there are now more trials testing potential drugs for MND in the UK than ever before. One of these trials is MND-SMART which is designed to run for several years and give more people with the disease a chance to take part in a trial. The MND…