Branch Funds MND Research

A major contribution to a research project has been agreed by the Yorkshire Dales Branch.

Initially it is hoped to offer one year’s funding for the three-year project, but the Branch hopes to increase this progressively, depending on finances.

The project, headed by Dr C. Wood-Allum and Professor Pam Shaw, intends to research mitochondrial redox dysfunction in motor neurone disease and to discover a therapeutic role for peroxiredoxins.

The MND Association Panel has commented that this project has a clear hypothesis and experimental work plan.

‘We have received two donations of money from the Rotary Club and the Inner Wheel Club of Harrogate with the specific request that the money should be used for research,’ said Branch Chairman Peter Thompson. ‘We have also told people in our thank you letters for the casino evening at York racecourse that this project is where the money is going.’

The researchers intend to use cell cultures and SOD1 mice to examine whether an increase inPrx-3, a mitochondrial protein, can protect motor neurons from damage. As drugs that mimic Prx-3 are becoming available, positive lab results would pave the way for clinical trials.

From Chatter Autumn 2007