Investigating the relationship between neuron length and cell processes in MND.
Principal Investigator: Dr Andrea Serio
Lead Institution: King's College London
MND Association Funding: £289,911
Funding dates: November 2022 - October 2025
About the project
Motor neurons are the longest nerve cells in the body and this can cause challenges with transporting essential resources from one end of the cell to the other. It has been found that there are some cell adaptations that might be related to the length of the neuron and it is thought that these adaptations could be linked to some processes that are affected in the early stages of the disease. This project will examine the relationship between neuron length and the processes of RNA and protein production, using motor neurons derived from people with different genetic forms of MND. It will also help to establish a better platform to test potential new therapies that are focused on correcting processes that go wrong in the early stages of MND.
What could this mean for MND research?
The project will provide new insights and improve our understanding of early disease processes. Increased understanding will help to find potential new therapies that will correct the process that go wrong in the early stages of MND.
Project code: 885-791