Living with dementia, March 2009
Society funded research gets underway
Nine new research projects are due to start after receiving funding from the Society.
Seven years ago, the Society set up the Quality Research in Dementia (QRD) consumer network, aimed at enabling carers, former carers and people with dementia to become actively involved in its research programme. The QRD network now has 170 volunteers who play a key role in deciding which research grant applications submitted to the Society should receive funding.
The volunteers sit alongside leading research scientists on grant selection panels, using their experience of dementia to help assess the projects. Alzheimer's Society is the only funding organisation that involves lay people in setting the priorities for dementia research in this way. This involvement ensures that we only fund research that could have the biggest impact on people's lives.
Following the latest round of applications, members of the network have identified nine new projects to receive funding. Below are summaries of some of those chosen.
Faulty defence mechanism
Professor Paul Morgan has been granted £223,513 over three years to carry out research into a group of proteins in the blood. The aim of the project is to find out if the proteins, known collectively as complement, could provide a diagnostic tool for the detection of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The complement system forms part of our immune system and is made up of twelve proteins which activate each other to kill invading bacteria. Unfortunately, these same proteins can trigger immune responses that accidentally kill the body's own cells.
Traces of complement proteins are found in and around amyloid plaques which form in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. Professor Morgan, who will be leading the investigation, says,
Dr Shelley Allen, based at the University of Bristol, has been awarded £135,531 to investigate the connection between genetic differences and the development of Alzheimer's disease. This three-year project will study the effect of a genetic mutation that is known to be linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Brain cells are maintained by a series of proteins that keep them healthy. Dr Allen's work will determine how the genetic mutation affects the activity of one of the key cell proteins, and how it might lead to the damage caused to nerve cells during development of the disease. This will improve our fundamental understanding of how Alzheimer's disease develops.
Targeting tau
A grant of £165,845 has been awarded to Dr Amritpal Mudher at the University of Southampton. Dr Mudher's work will focus on the tau protein, which is generated by all healthy nerve cells. An abnormal version of tau is produced in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, which is thought to result in the death of brain cells. This research will investigate how tau breaks down cells, and whether drugs to remove the abnormal tau could prevent cell death. The project, which will run for three years, has the potential to develop preventative therapy against Alzheimer's disease.
Catching dementia early
Dr Elizabeta Mukaetova Ladinska, based at the University of Newcastle, will carry out a one-year trial to test a possible method of diagnosing dementia accurately at an early stage by measuring blood proteins. The trial will include people with different forms of dementia as well as healthy individuals of the same age. Dr Ladinska has received £50,000 for the work.
Stroke and dementia
Alzheimer's Society and The Stroke Association are jointly funding a grant of £399,145 for research into stroke and dementia by Professor Philip Bath at the University of Nottingham. We know that nearly a third of people who have a stroke develop dementia. Despite this, there are no licensed treatments or large-scale ongoing clinical trials committed to finding a way to reduce the development of dementia following a stroke. Professor Bath will run a clinical trial to compare the effects of drugs that lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, on the risk of developing dementia following a stroke. The work has the potential to help reduce the number of people developing dementia after a stroke.
More details
Find out more about these projects or, to find out more about the QRD consumer network, contact David Bugler, QRD Liaison Officer, on 020 7306 0845, or email research@alzheimers.org.uk
Four Society-funded PhD studentships will begin in October. There will be more details about this research in the autumn. The Society currently invests more than £6 million in dementia research.
Find out more about our research
Seven years ago, the Society set up the Quality Research in Dementia (QRD) consumer network, aimed at enabling carers, former carers and people with dementia to become actively involved in its research programme. The QRD network now has 170 volunteers who play a key role in deciding which research grant applications submitted to the Society should receive funding.
The volunteers sit alongside leading research scientists on grant selection panels, using their experience of dementia to help assess the projects. Alzheimer's Society is the only funding organisation that involves lay people in setting the priorities for dementia research in this way. This involvement ensures that we only fund research that could have the biggest impact on people's lives.
Following the latest round of applications, members of the network have identified nine new projects to receive funding. Below are summaries of some of those chosen.
Faulty defence mechanism
Professor Paul Morgan has been granted £223,513 over three years to carry out research into a group of proteins in the blood. The aim of the project is to find out if the proteins, known collectively as complement, could provide a diagnostic tool for the detection of the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The complement system forms part of our immune system and is made up of twelve proteins which activate each other to kill invading bacteria. Unfortunately, these same proteins can trigger immune responses that accidentally kill the body's own cells.
Traces of complement proteins are found in and around amyloid plaques which form in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. Professor Morgan, who will be leading the investigation, says,
'We don't know whether the complement deposits in the brain are the cause or effect of the damage. We'll be looking at all stages of the disease to establish which part of the complement system is activated, at what point it happens, and how it contributes to the development of dementia.'Professor Morgan is keen to establish this information because new drugs that can control the complement system will soon be available. He says,
'There is now a realistic possibility of treating a fault or over-activation of the complement system.'Genetics and dementia
Dr Shelley Allen, based at the University of Bristol, has been awarded £135,531 to investigate the connection between genetic differences and the development of Alzheimer's disease. This three-year project will study the effect of a genetic mutation that is known to be linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Brain cells are maintained by a series of proteins that keep them healthy. Dr Allen's work will determine how the genetic mutation affects the activity of one of the key cell proteins, and how it might lead to the damage caused to nerve cells during development of the disease. This will improve our fundamental understanding of how Alzheimer's disease develops.
Targeting tau
A grant of £165,845 has been awarded to Dr Amritpal Mudher at the University of Southampton. Dr Mudher's work will focus on the tau protein, which is generated by all healthy nerve cells. An abnormal version of tau is produced in the brains of people with Alzheimer's, which is thought to result in the death of brain cells. This research will investigate how tau breaks down cells, and whether drugs to remove the abnormal tau could prevent cell death. The project, which will run for three years, has the potential to develop preventative therapy against Alzheimer's disease.
Catching dementia early
Dr Elizabeta Mukaetova Ladinska, based at the University of Newcastle, will carry out a one-year trial to test a possible method of diagnosing dementia accurately at an early stage by measuring blood proteins. The trial will include people with different forms of dementia as well as healthy individuals of the same age. Dr Ladinska has received £50,000 for the work.
Stroke and dementia
Alzheimer's Society and The Stroke Association are jointly funding a grant of £399,145 for research into stroke and dementia by Professor Philip Bath at the University of Nottingham. We know that nearly a third of people who have a stroke develop dementia. Despite this, there are no licensed treatments or large-scale ongoing clinical trials committed to finding a way to reduce the development of dementia following a stroke. Professor Bath will run a clinical trial to compare the effects of drugs that lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, on the risk of developing dementia following a stroke. The work has the potential to help reduce the number of people developing dementia after a stroke.
More details
Find out more about these projects or, to find out more about the QRD consumer network, contact David Bugler, QRD Liaison Officer, on 020 7306 0845, or email research@alzheimers.org.uk
Four Society-funded PhD studentships will begin in October. There will be more details about this research in the autumn. The Society currently invests more than £6 million in dementia research.
Find out more about our research
In this section
- Dementia in the West End
- Art, dignity and dementia
- You are here: Society funded research gets underway
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