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The NIHR is expanding its Translational Research Collaboration (TRC) portfolio to include Parkinson’s disease. This is the eighth TRC, with 2 launched in the past year.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder. It affects over 166,000 people in the UK. There are major gaps in UK PD 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 NIHR PD-TRC will bring together national expertise and infrastructure. It aims to speed up translation of disease-modifying therapies and precision diagnostics in PD and related disorders.
The collaboration will coordinate centres of excellence across academia and the NHS. The PD-TRC will drive collaborations with industry and charities in PD. This will widen access to research and help reduce inequalities across the UK.
The NIHR PD-TRC aims to:
- coordinate patient-centred experimental medicine research nationally
- improve access to expertise and infrastructure
- build long-term capacity in translational research
- embed Patient and Public Involvement throughout
Joining up research to speed up progress
The NIHR PD-TRC is led by Professor Oliver Bandmann, from NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). He is supported by Professor Camille Carroll, from NIHR Newcastle BRC, and Professor Alistair Noyce at Queen Mary University of London.
Professor Oliver Bandmann, Chair of the NIHR Parkinson’s Disease Translational Research Collaboration, said:
“The NIHR-PD-TRC represents a unique opportunity to transform early-phase clinical research in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders in the UK. It aims to bridge the gap between promising preclinical discoveries and clinical trials.”
The PD-TRC brings together 16 centres, including 8 NIHR BRCs. It is funded by the NIHR and 4 charity partners:
- Cure Parkinson’s
- the Multiple System Atrophy Trust (MSA Trust)
- Parkinson’s UK
- the PSP Association (PSPA)
Karen Walker, Chief Executive, Multiple System Atrophy Trust, said:
“The MSA Trust is proud to support the NIHR PD-TRC and looks forward to collaborating with the teams around the country engaged in this unique partnership. We appreciate only too well the anguish felt by our MSA community when a preclinical discovery that has held lots of promise, fails to reach the clinical trial stage and we hope to contribute positively to the efforts to move the early phase research forward.”
Megan Hodgson, Research Coordinator, PSPA said:
“PSPA is delighted to be supporting the PD-TRC and its inclusion of both PSP and CBD. We hope this TRC will raise both awareness of these poorly understood conditions and bridge the gaps in research that are desperately needed in both diagnosis and treatments for PSP and CBD. We look forward to seeing the progress of the PD-TRC and how it shapes the future of healthcare.”
Dr Simon Stott, Director of Research, Cure Parkinson’s, said:
“As a charity solely focused on slowing, stopping or reversing the condition, Cure Parkinson’s is very excited to be supporting this new Translational Research Collaboration for Parkinson’s. We look forward to future developments coming from this new UK-wide endeavour.”
Professor David Dexter, Research Director, Parkinson’s UK said:
“Parkinson’s UK is honoured to support the NIHR-PD-TRC which will coordinate patient-centred research, improve access to expertise and infrastructure and foster translation of new medicines to patients. Importantly patients will be at the heart of the TRC, which will also break down silos and foster collaborations across the whole research ecosystem. Ultimately this will result in people with Parkinson’s getting new treatments faster.”
What are NIHR TRCs?
NIHR TRCs are UK-wide groups of experts formed via NIHR Biomedical Research Centres. They act as hubs, bringing together research communities. They combine expertise to tackle shared challenges.
The PD-TRC will launch with 4 workstreams:
- Clinical cohorts
- Stratification and outcome measures
- Experimental therapies
- Capacity building
Each will be co-led by experts from leading UK centres.
Dementia Researcher
UK DRI
