£750,000 grant to search for Parkinson’s biomarkers

The National Institute for Health Research has been awarded a grant by a research charity to find biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease.

Research charity, Parkinson’s UK, has awarded researchers from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) a £750,000 grant to search for Parkinson’s biomarkers. The team of researchers, from London, Cambridge, Oxford and Newcastle, is led by Simon Lovestone, Director of the NIHR Dementia Translational Research Collaboration.

Lovestone commented, “This study is very important as finding Parkinson’s biomarkers could be essential to developing future treatments. We’ve seen huge leaps in other conditions like some forms of cancer, where biomarkers have been identified, and a blood test for Alzheimer’s is now looking hopeful. We need to do the same for Parkinson’s.”

‘Tracking Parkinson’s’, launched in 2012, was the largest ever in-depth study of individuals with Parkinson’s. The blood samples collected and information obtained will be used in this new research initiative. It is hoped that if a reliable biomarker for Parkinson’s is found, this could improve diagnosis and management of the condition, as well as speed up research into next-generation treatments.

The team of researchers from NIHR Biomedical Research Centers and Units, alongside UK and US biotechnology companies, will investigate both blood and cerebrospinal fluid for Parkinson’s biomarkers. Lovestone and his team hope that by investigating both sample types, they will maximize their chances of finding the best possible biomarker.

Steve Ford, Chief Executive at Parkinson’s UK, said, “Many people diagnosed with Parkinson’s will go on to develop dementia, and we need to heighten awareness of the importance of funding research that can improve the lives of all people living with Parkinson’s.”

Source: NIHR researchers awarded £750,000 to search for Parkinson’s biomarkers.