Understanding how RNA binding proteins may stop working properly in MND and cause changes to gene regulation in motor neurones.
Principal Investigator: Dr Hamish Crerar
Lead Institution: King's College London
MND Association Funding: £579,900
Funding dates: November 2026 - November 2030
About the project
In MND, key proteins called RNA binding proteins (RBPs) can end up in the wrong place within cells and stop working properly. These proteins normally help control how other genes are made into proteins by regulating RNA, which is the messenger between DNA and proteins. RNA can exist in different forms, known as isoforms, which allows one gene to produce different versions of a protein depending on the cell’s needs. In this project, Dr Hamish Crerar is exploring how the loss of RBPs in MND can change the way that genes are made into proteins, including which isoforms are made, in motor neurones. One gene of particular interest is MAPT, which produces Tau, a protein important for maintaining nerve cell shape and structure. Changes in Tau have been linked to other brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, but researchers are starting to see similar changes in Tau isoforms occurring in MND.
What could this mean for MND research?
By studying both how gene regulation is disrupted and how harmful RNA isoforms appear, this research aims to identify new ways to protect nerve cells and understand why they become vulnerable in MND. This could help us understand how RNA regulation might contribute to MND and may identify new targets for developing treatments.
Project code: 2573-799