Five new studies funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) will investigate neurodegenerative diseases that give rise to dementia.
The studies will help identify new ways to treat or slow down the diseases before symptoms worsen.
Working together to drive medical research
Science Minister Lord Vallance said:
These studies are a great example of what can happen when industry, academia, charities and patients all work together to drive medical research forward.
Boosting our understanding of some of the neurodegenerative diseases that can lead to dementia, is critical to tackling this cruel illness.
It will help us develop the treatments that will hopefully, one day, stop dementia in its tracks and spare so many families from the heartache it causes.
Experimental medicine approach
The studies use an approach known as experimental medicine, which involves working directly with living people to understand the biological changes that cause disease.
This could include:
- monitoring brain activity during sleep
- tracking changes in blood flow
- testing how the brain responds to new or repurposed drugs
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
This cruel illness touches the lives of so many families.
It’s vital we improve our understanding of the neurodegenerative diseases which can lead to dementia.
This government is making progress, with diagnosis rates rising, but we know there’s much more to do.
That’s why we’re delivering the Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia – setting national standards to improve care quality and ensure every person with dementia gets the support they deserve.
By working together with industry, scientists and charities, we can find new ways to slow down the disease and to speed up diagnosis.
Patient involvement
A key funding requirement was for all research teams to embed patient and public involvement and engagement into their proposals.
With support from Alzheimer’s Society, people with lived experience of dementia reviewed each application to assess how well it involved patients and the public.
Researchers responded to this feedback, and a dedicated sub-panel of patient and carer reviewers discussed the proposals and shared their views with the funding panel.
This process helped ensure the funded projects reflect what matters most to people living with these conditions, and that their voices were considered throughout the research.
Translating to clinical benefits
Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society said:
Involving people with lived experience of dementia at every stage of dementia research is vital, making sure the research is not only credible but above all relevant to the people impacted.
I am delighted our Research Network volunteers have been able to support the process and share their invaluable insight to ensure that MRC is funding experimental medicine studies that have the potential to rapidly translate to clinical benefits.
Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme
Each project will work with the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme to ensure that discoveries in experimental medicine contribute directly to speeding up the development of new treatments for dementia.
The programme, led by the Office for Life Sciences, sets out ambitious goals to accelerate research and improve outcomes for people affected with dementia.
Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals Co-Chair Hilary Evans-Newton said:
Dementia research is at a truly transformative point.
We’re uncovering new insights into the diseases that cause this condition at an unprecedented pace, and this research is driving progress forward.
Through the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, our mission is clear: to accelerate these breakthroughs from the lab to the clinic, delivering meaningful innovation to people living with dementia as quickly as possible.
Research focus areas
All five studies are designed to generate insights that could lead to new or improved treatments.
All are grounded in the real experiences of people affected by these conditions.
Sleep and Alzheimer’s disease
Two studies will investigate how sleep affects the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
They will focus on a phase of sleep known as slow-wave sleep, which plays a key role in removing harmful proteins from the brain.
SleepBoost: improving sleep to slow Alzheimer’s progression
Professor Elizabeth Coulthard at the University of Bristol will lead a long-term study to assess how differentially affecting the quality of slow-wave sleep can slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study will recruit widely, including South Asian communities, who may be more affected by poor sleep.
Researchers will use sleep recordings, brain activity monitoring, blood and spinal fluid samples, and memory tests to measure impact.
Brain stimulation to support brain stability
Dr Nir Grossman at the UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London will use a non-invasive brain stimulation technique to explore the relationship between sleep-related brain activity and brain excitability.
The technique can be used to reduce overactivity in brain cells, which may contribute to early memory problems, and support better cognitive function in people with early-stage Alzheimer’s.
Blood vessel damage and dementia
Two studies will focus on cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), a condition where small blood vessels in the brain are damaged.
cSVD is a major contributor to stroke and accounts for around 40% of all dementia cases.
Understanding how cSVD leads to brain decline
Professor Joanna Wardlaw at the UK Dementia Research Institute at The University of Edinburgh, with colleagues around the UK, will study how cSVD causes damage to the brain.
They will use two different drugs to see whether this process can be slowed or reversed.
The team will use brain scans and blood tests to monitor changes in people already taking part in treatment trials, including patients with stroke or those who attend memory clinics.
Exploring new ways to improve brain blood flow
Dr Alastair Webb at Imperial College London will investigate how targeting a promising pathway could help restore healthy blood flow in the brain.
The study will look at how different doses of a repurposed drug improve blood flow to the brain, and how it affects brain structure, the blood brain barrier, thinking, and memory.
Targeting multiple biological changes simultaneously in Parkinson’s
Professor Sonia Gandhi at University College London will test a combination approach in neurodegeneration.
Two drugs that are currently used for vascular and metabolic conditions will be tested together to simultaneously target the specific vulnerable cell type in Parkinson’s, and to modify that brain cell’s chemistry.
The study will use blood and spinal fluid samples, along with digital tools to track symptoms, to assess whether targeting the changes in brain chemistry could slow disease progress.
Industry collaboration
Each project involves collaboration with industry partners, who bring specialist tools, technologies and expertise.
These partnerships help researchers translate findings into potential treatments more quickly, supporting innovation and accelerating progress from research to patient benefit.
Professor Patrick Chinnery, MRC Executive Chair, said:
These studies highlight the potential of experimental medicine to bridge the gap between the mechanistic understanding of disease and the development of targeted advanced treatments for patients.
By bringing together researchers and clinicians with industry, patients and carers from the start, we’re supporting research that has real-world relevance and translational potential.
