16 July 2024 News
The MND Association is highlighting how increased investment in MND research is taking us closer to a treatment for MND, in our new report launched today, Countdown to a cure.
Our report shines a spotlight on some of the most exciting and promising translational UK research being funded by the MND Association, which seeks to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical trials, to bring new potential treatments to patients.
In 2014, only one MND clinical trial was taking place in the UK and the MND Association’s research portfolio was valued at £8.2 million. Ten years later in 2024 our charity’s research portfolio has nearly trebled, to £21.5 million, and we are supporting progress through over 100 projects including multiple clinical trials.
Over 260 MND researchers are now involved in research we fund, studying MND across the research spectrum, from understanding the disease better through to hunting for new treatments and improving quality of life.
Research brings hope
There’s currently no cure for MND. But research is bringing hope for the future. Countdown to a cure showcases how research has given us a much better understanding of MND, is pointing towards new ways to treat the condition and is taking laboratory discoveries nearer to the development of treatments. This means there are more potential treatments on the horizon and being tested in clinical trials than ever before.
The report showcases innovative research that is making a mark in the MND world:
- Association funding has been crucial to Project AMBRoSIA, which has built one of the world’s largest collections of samples from people with MND. This resource has facilitated research which led to the discovery of a biomarker for MND – neurofilament light chain (NfL) – that measures motor neurone damage. This can now be used in clinical trials to help determine if a drug is working.
- An innovative approach now allows more potential treatments to be tested in a clinical trial at the same time. Known as platform trials, this approach means more people with MND have the opportunity to take part and have a higher chance of receiving the treatment instead of placebo. Association funding is supporting the growth of these platform trials.
- Over 6,000 people have been recruited onto the MND Register - a key source of information about MND in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The register, which was initiated and funded by the MND Association, helps researchers in the hunt for causes of the disease and potential new treatments, as well as supporting care planning.
Dr Sophie Nyberg, Programmes and Partnerships Manager at the MND Association said: “We have seen so much progress in MND research in recent years. We are really proud to have been at the forefront of innovative MND research, investing in the research itself and developing the careers of experts working to make a better future for people with MND.
“Our new report highlights the considerable progress we have made, even in the last ten years. Back in 2014 there was only one clinical trial taking place in the UK. Now, five clinical trials are recruiting patients in the UK. Research has revealed new potential therapies that are now being tested in clinical trials, and these discoveries have only been made possible thanks to the continued support of the MND community.”
David Wilson, who is living with MND said: “I have taken part in research trials as I know how important they are in learning more about MND. Although I won’t benefit from the research myself, it will help others further down the line. It would be great to think I could be helping to reveal a piece of the puzzle for scientists, who could fit all the pieces together to find a cure or treatment in the future.”