UK DRI and Parkinson’s UK join forces

Marking a pivotal moment in brain health research, the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) has united with Parkinson’s UK to establish a new £10m research centre dedicated to better understanding the causes of Parkinson’s and finding new treatments to prevent, halt, and ultimately find cures for the condition.

The new centre will recruit and bring together leading Parkinson’s researchers, enabling them to benefit from the world-class environment at the UK DRI. Parkinson’s UK will bring additional support, including access to the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech – their global drug discovery and development programme, in partnership with the Parkinson’s Foundation – support with patient and public involvement in research, and data and samples from the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank.

The UK DRI and Parkinson’s UK will each invest £5 million over five years to drive forward vital research. The centre will identify new approaches to Parkinson’s prediction and prevention, alongside the development and testing of new treatments to prevent the onset, and slow or even reverse the progression of the condition.

Parkinson’s is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions, affecting 153,000 people in the UK. By 2030, this figure is expected to increase to 172,000. It is a progressive neurological condition with a range of symptoms including tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement and postural instability. People with Parkinson’s may also experience non-movement related symptoms such as sleep disruption, pain, thinking and memory problems including related dementias, and mental health issues.

Parkinson’s results from the loss of neurons in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra, responsible for producing the chemical dopamine, which acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system that help control and coordinate body movements. As these neurons deteriorate and the levels of dopamine reduce, the symptoms of Parkinson’s appear.

Although the symptoms can be managed with medication and therapies, there are currently no treatments available that target the underlying cause of the condition. The new centre will play a pivotal role in driving research to develop new treatments that will tackle Parkinson’s.

Nicky Parsons, who lives with Parkinson’s. “As someone living with Parkinson’s, I know firsthand the challenges it brings, which is why I am so passionate about research and how important it is. More funding and partnerships like these means more hope. Hope for better treatments, a better quality of life, and one day a cure. Every step forward in research makes a real difference, not just for me but for my family, my friends, and everyone affected by Parkinson’s.”

The UK DRI is the UK’s leading research institute for dementia and related neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s. The mission of the UK DRI is to transform the lives of people affected by neurodegenerative conditions, by discovering the causes of neurodegeneration, developing new tools and treatments, and delivering solutions to maintain brain health in an ageing society.

UK DRI scientists are already making important advances in Parkinson’s research. Dr Cynthia Sandor is working on ways to detect Parkinson’s at an earlier stage; a recent study revealed smart watches could detect Parkinson’s up to seven years before clinical diagnosis. Dr Kathryn Bowles is investigating the work of a gene which may play a role in Parkinson’s development, in work funded by Parkinson’s UK. Dr Tim Bartels and his team are looking into the link between the gut-brain axis and Parkinson’s.

For more than 50 years, Parkinson’s UK has been at the cutting edge of Parkinson’s research. They have funded over £120m of life-changing research in the UK and abroad, all in the search of new treatments and ultimately a cure. The charity uses insight from people with the condition to shape and prioritise its work, as well as improving the experiences of taking part in research.

Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute. “We’re excited to be partnering with Parkinson’s UK to establish this new centre dedicated to research into Parkinson’s. As the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, we urgently need to progress research to discover the causes of Parkinson’s, develop new treatments, and deliver solutions to support people to live well for longer. At the UK DRI, our researchers are already doing important work in this space, and this new partnership will allow us to scale and accelerate these discoveries to improve the lives of those affected by Parkinson’s. The partnership is a significant step forward in our shared mission to tackle neurodegenerative conditions, and I am confident that Parkinson’s UK’s expertise and resources will be invaluable in advancing our knowledge to improve the care and quality of life of people living with Parkinson’s.”

With support from Parkinson’s UK, the UK DRI is launching an international search for a Director to lead the centre, and four Group Leaders. The new team will collaborate within and beyond the UK DRI to progress this research.

Professor David Dexter, Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK. “Many drugs have been clinically tested over the last two decades but all have failed to slow Parkinson’s, indicating that we are failing to target drugs at the condition’s true causes. Additionally, clinical trials are hampered by the lack of biomarkers that help diagnose and track the progression of Parkinson’s. Partnering with the UK DRI to form a new centre dedicated to Parkinson’s is an exciting opportunity to increase dedicated research capacity in the UK. By harnessing the combined resources of the UK DRI and Parkinson’s UK, I’m confident that the new centre will accelerate the discovery of the causes of Parkinson’s, catalyse drug development and improve the effectiveness of clinical trials, and ultimately improve the lives of people affected by Parkinson’s. The new Parkinson’s Research Centre will form a component of our integrated approach to developing better treatments and cures for Parkinson’s, sitting alongside our grants programmes, the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, data and biosamples from our longitudinal cohorts, the Brain Bank and Landmark multi-omics project.”