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Diseases

Groundbreaking Study Aims to Discover Cure for Parkinson's Disease

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A landmark study is underway to investigate Parkinson's disease, with the ultimate goal of discovering a cure for the condition. The study, known as the Landmark programme, will examine what causes Parkinson's, how it spreads through the brain, and what triggers the progression of symptoms. Parkinson's is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, affecting around 153,000 people in the UK. Researchers hope to identify new drug targets and develop potential treatments for the condition.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Landmark programme will analyse hundreds of tissue samples from the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank to create a map of how genes are activated in Parkinson's across different cell types.
  • Researchers hope to reveal the causes of Parkinson's and Parkinson's dementia, why some brain cells are more vulnerable to the condition than others, and potential targets for developing new treatments.
  • The study aims to identify the causal risk genes for Parkinson's, which will enable scientists to develop therapies to stop the condition.
  • Researchers will also identify new ways to measure the condition's progression and which genes or mutations in the body increase someone's risk of developing Parkinson's.
  • The three-year research programme brings together Parkinson's UK, Imperial College London, GSK, Novartis, Roche, and UCB for the first time.
  • A founding gift of £4 million from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation has made the study possible.
  • The Landmark project aims to produce state-of-the-art datasets that will enable scientists to fully understand the biological ways in which Parkinson's takes hold and progresses in the brain.
  • Researchers hope to speed up the journey of new drugs to patients by identifying predictive biomarkers involved in Parkinson's.

Statistics:

  • Parkinson's is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, affecting around 153,000 people in the UK.
  • There are over 40 symptoms of Parkinson's, including tremor, pain, anxiety, speech issues, and gait problems.
  • The condition is caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain.
  • Researchers will analyse hundreds of tissue samples from the Parkinson's UK Brain Bank.
  • The three-year research programme will cost £4 million, thanks to a founding gift from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

Sources:

  • Parkinson's UK (@ParkinsonsUK) - Twitter post, September 20, 2024
  • Professor David Dexter - Quote, Parkinson's UK press release, n.d.
  • Michael Johnson, professor of neurology and genomic medicine at Imperial College London - Quote, Parkinson's UK press release, n.d.

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