New NIHR-funded TRC for Parkinson’s disease
The launch of a new national research collaboration focused on Parkinson’s disease has been announced.
The Parkinson’s disease Translational Research Collaboration (PD-TRC), funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and supported by four major charities, is the first of eight UK TRCs to focus on Parkinson’s disease.
Designed to speed up the development of promising new treatments and precision diagnostics for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders affecting movement, its key purpose will be to bring together UK expertise and infrastructure, delivered through 17 centres of excellence across academia and the NHS – strengthening collaboration in groundbreaking translational Parkinson’s disease research.
Parkinson’s disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that affects over 166,000 people in the UK. There are major gaps in UK Parkinson’s disease research, especially in experimental medicine and early clinical trials. Progress is also slowed by fragmented, siloed work across basic science, experimental medicine. and clinical research.
The new Translational Research Centre (TRC) will be led by Professor Oliver Bandmann, Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Movement Disorders at the University of Sheffield. He is supported by Professor Camille Carroll, from NIHR Newcastle BRC, and Professor Alistair Noyce at Queen Mary University of London.
It is the eighth TRC to be established by the NIHR – two of which have launched this past year – and the first to be hosted by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Prof Bandmann commented: “Parkinson’s Disease can be devastating for those that live with it and, despite progress in treatment and detection, we still haven’t found treatment to slow down the disease and address every patient’s needs […] People with Parkinson’s will be closely involved to ensure that their voice will be heard. I am excited for what we can achieve.”
Professor Christopher McDermott, Director NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and Professor of Translational Neurology at the University of Sheffield, stated: “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring together expertise in Parkinson's disease and associated neurological conditions from across the NHS, academia, patients, industry, and charity organisations to maximise the benefits of groundbreaking research taking place in Biomedical Research Centres across the country and ensure potentially life-changing scientific discoveries in Parkinson’s treatment and care can be quickly translated for patient benefit.”
NIHR Translational Research Collaborations (TRCs) act as hubs, rallying research communities across the UK. They bring together their relevant experience to tackle translational research challenges in their specific focus areas. Each TRC is set up to address particular challenges aligned with national priorities, including those set by the Department of Health and Social Care, the NHS and to address patient needs.
The new collaboration will also drive collaborations with industries and charities in Parkinson’s disease, acting as a hub to bring together research communities and combine expertise to tackle shared challenges. This will widen access to research and help reduce inequalities across the UK.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) has started working with Swiss biotech Biognosys on a project focusing on LRRK2, a biomarker that has emerged as a drug discovery target in Parkinson's disease.
