Capital award for UK DRI at King's College London
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Alongside significant co-investment from King's College London, the expected outcome of this funding is to provide its associate director £2.5m for procurement of capital equipment supporting the new UK DRI in implementing its first scientific programmes (funding provided separately) and scaling up.
Together, the equipment and the new Maurice Whole Clinical Neuroscience building will provide the location for, in the initial stages of 3 programmes, and then capacity for its significant growth in number in subsequent years. The UK DRI as a whole will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by also promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts. The new institute has been established to lead the UK’s dementia research effort and forms a core part of achieving the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020.
Together, the equipment and the new Maurice Whole Clinical Neuroscience building will provide the location for, in the initial stages of 3 programmes, and then capacity for its significant growth in number in subsequent years. The UK DRI as a whole will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by also promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts. The new institute has been established to lead the UK’s dementia research effort and forms a core part of achieving the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020.
Technical Summary
The aim of this award is to support King's College London with capital investment for setting-up of one of six UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) centres; in particular, the procurement of equipment.
At present, 3 programmes have been selected planned for the UK DRI at King's College London and with scientific and operational leadership provided by its associate director, Professor Chris Shaw. The project at King's College London will involve purchasing equipment to scale up and fill the UK DRI at King’s College London, to be located at new Maurice Whol Clinical Neuroscience building which could house up to 250 researchers. The location is ready to be occupied.
The approach of the institute as a whole, of which the UK DRI at King's College London forms a core part, is to amplify and enhance, not replace, current dementia research efforts in the UK. The UK DRI will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by supplying vital new funding for research, coupled to promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts.
There is a gap in our knowledge of how the healthy brain functions and what leads to its degeneration. The UK DRI will fill this crucial gap that exists at the start of the dementia research journey. It will study the healthy brain and neurodegeneration in order to build new knowledge and understanding that will lead to new treatments. It will also proactively connect to existing clinical and population-level dementia initiatives – for example as being undertaken by the MRC Dementias Platform UK and through the NIHR TRC-D – to catalyse a unique national and strategic approach to confronting the dementia challenge.
In particular, the present research at the UK DRI at King's College London plans to look at the earliest stages of fronto-temporal dementia and ALS, looking for common mechanisms across neurodegenerative diseases, including: misfolding and aggregation of TDP-43; RNA binding activity; nuclear pore protein transport Funding to these science programmes is provided separately.
At present, 3 programmes have been selected planned for the UK DRI at King's College London and with scientific and operational leadership provided by its associate director, Professor Chris Shaw. The project at King's College London will involve purchasing equipment to scale up and fill the UK DRI at King’s College London, to be located at new Maurice Whol Clinical Neuroscience building which could house up to 250 researchers. The location is ready to be occupied.
The approach of the institute as a whole, of which the UK DRI at King's College London forms a core part, is to amplify and enhance, not replace, current dementia research efforts in the UK. The UK DRI will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by supplying vital new funding for research, coupled to promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts.
There is a gap in our knowledge of how the healthy brain functions and what leads to its degeneration. The UK DRI will fill this crucial gap that exists at the start of the dementia research journey. It will study the healthy brain and neurodegeneration in order to build new knowledge and understanding that will lead to new treatments. It will also proactively connect to existing clinical and population-level dementia initiatives – for example as being undertaken by the MRC Dementias Platform UK and through the NIHR TRC-D – to catalyse a unique national and strategic approach to confronting the dementia challenge.
In particular, the present research at the UK DRI at King's College London plans to look at the earliest stages of fronto-temporal dementia and ALS, looking for common mechanisms across neurodegenerative diseases, including: misfolding and aggregation of TDP-43; RNA binding activity; nuclear pore protein transport Funding to these science programmes is provided separately.
People |
ORCID iD |
Christopher Shaw (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Škoric-Milosavljevic D
(2022)
Common Genetic Variants Contribute to Risk of Transposition of the Great Arteries.
in Circulation research
Solomon DA
(2018)
A feedback loop between dipeptide-repeat protein, TDP-43 and karyopherin-a mediates C9orf72-related neurodegeneration.
in Brain : a journal of neurology
Smith BN
(2017)
Mutations in the vesicular trafficking protein annexin A11 are associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
in Science translational medicine
Nicolas A
(2018)
Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene.
in Neuron
Mayl K
(2021)
Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches in C9orf72 ALS-FTD.
in Biomedicines
Lee YB
(2021)
C9orf72 poly GA RAN-translated protein plays a key role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis via aggregation and toxicity.
in Human molecular genetics
Lee YB
(2021)
Cytoplasmic TDP-43 is involved in cell fate during stress recovery.
in Human molecular genetics
Kelly M
(2020)
The use of biotelemetry to explore disease progression markers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration
Kattuah W
(2019)
Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein E2 (hnRNP E2) Is a Component of TDP-43 Aggregates Specifically in the A and C Pathological Subtypes of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.
in Frontiers in neuroscience
Title | Paintings about dementia |
Description | Paintings depicting aspects of dementia and research to find a cure |
Type Of Art | Artwork |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Impact | Inspiring people working in the field |
Description | Identification of compounds that enhance TDP43 clearance in ALS and FTD |
Amount | £462,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Eli Lilly & Company Ltd |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2015 |
End | 05/2020 |
Description | Testing chaperone gene therapy in a mouse model of Motor Neuron Disease and Fronto-Temporal Dementia |
Amount | £120,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Peter Samuel Trustees |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2017 |
End | 09/2021 |
Description | Viral vector gene therapy for FTD and ALS: from constructs to clinical trials |
Amount | £2,012,076 (GBP) |
Organisation | UK Dementia Research Institute |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 08/2022 |
Title | Adeno-associated viral vector manufacture |
Description | Using AAVVectors to express genes in cultured cells and in mammals (mice, sheep) |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Able to present data for further funding |
Title | High-Density Surface Electromyography |
Description | Using high density surface electrodes to record fasciculations in patients with motor neuron disease and benign fasciculation syndrom as a potental predictor of disease course |
Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - human |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Multiple publications and sharing of methodology and tool on line |
URL | https://spiqe.co.uk |
Description | Remote home assessment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a multimodal integrative approach |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have developed a robust means of quantifying fasciculations n people with motor neuron disease and we linked this up with the Remote Disease monitoriting system developed by David Sharp at Imperial |
Collaborator Contribution | Integrated multimodal home monitoring system |
Impact | Just starting |
Start Year | 2020 |
Title | Clinical Trial of antisense oligonucleotide drug targeting the C9orf72 mRNA given intrathecally |
Description | Clinical Trial of antisense oligonucleotide drug targeting the C9orf72 mRNA given intrathecally |
Type | Therapeutic Intervention - Drug |
Current Stage Of Development | Early clinical assessment |
Year Development Stage Completed | 2019 |
Development Status | Under active development/distribution |
Clinical Trial? | Yes |
Impact | First in man trial of a drug targeting this genetic population |
URL | https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03626012 |
Title | SURFACE POTENTIAL QUANTIFICATION ENGINE |
Description | Open to anyone |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | Software available to other researchers and industry |
URL | https://spiqe.co.uk/# |
Company Name | AviadoBio |
Description | AviadoBio develops gene therapy treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. |
Year Established | 2019 |
Impact | None yet as just formed |
Website | https://aviadobio.com/ |
Company Name | Neurogeneus Ltd |
Description | |
Year Established | 2021 |
Impact | Raised `$100m Seed and Series A funding |
Description | Academic Lecture |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Sharing insights about gene testing in motor neuron disease and frontotemporal dementia |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Graham Cocks' participation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Supporters |
Results and Impact | This involved guiding a group of MNDA donors through a tour of research undertaken here at the Wohl. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Lecture for Brain Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gene Therapy for ALS an FTD; Are we there yet? |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Talk at Dementia Discovery Fund Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation on opportunities for Gene Therapy in motor neuron disease and fronto-temporal dementia |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://theddfund.com/ |
Description | Talk to MND Association of New Zealand annual general meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
Results and Impact | Public Presentation |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://mnd.org.nz/inaugural-mnd-new-zealand-research-conference/ |
Description | Webinar on new therapies for Dementia Discovery Fund Forum |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Panel discussion on gene therapies for neurodegenerative disorders |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://issuu.com/svhealthinvestors/docs/ddf_20forum_20booklet_202020_2134dff6b56939 |