Reading Time: 2 minutes In a previous research project funded by the MND Association, Prof Kevin Talbot and colleagues from the University of Oxford developed a new TDP-43 mouse model of MND. Compared to other mouse models of MND, this one accurately reflects the symptoms of the disease and levels of the TDP-43 protein as seen in humans. This…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Developing disease models is important for furthering our understanding of MND and allows researchers to screen potential new drugs for a beneficial effect. Moving a promising ‘nearly drug’ from the lab to being tested in people is known as ‘translational research’. Dr Richard Mead was awarded the Kenneth Snowman/MND Association Lectureship in Translational Neuroscience in…
Reading Time: 2 minutes Deposits of the protein TDP-43 are found within the motor neurones in the majority of cases of MND, and are considered a pathological hallmark of the disease. While we do not fully understand how these deposits are formed, previous research has shown that activation of a process called the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) can cause…
Reading Time: 5 minutes Dr Tennore Ramesh is based at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) based at the University of Sheffield. His Association funded research is investigating the early stages of MND in zebrafish, as well as screening potential drugs. Would you ever consider that fish and humans have parallels? Interestingly it’s a “Yes”. They are vertebrates…
