Understanding more about striatum nerve cells and how they may impact MND and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
PhD Student: Manpreet Atwal
Principal Investigator: Dr Matthew Livesey
Lead Institution: University of Sheffield
MND Association Funding: £88,529
Funding dates: October 2021 - September 2024
About the project
Research has shown that MND doesn’t just affect motor neurons (nerve cells needed for muscle movement), but also other parts of the brain that control our ability to think, interact and formulate words. One of these regions called the striatum. Studies into the role of the striatum have indicated that, when damaged, it may contribute to the cognitive impairments commonly seen in people with MND and related frontotemporal dementia (FTD). This project will use samples from people living with a common genetic form of MND-FTD (C9orf72) to grow striatum nerve cells in the lab. The function of these cells will be measured using sophisticated electronics and then compared to healthy cells to see if there is a difference. The work will pinpoint functional impairment in MND nerve cells which may lead to strategies to come up with new therapies to target this brain region in MND.
What could this mean for MND research?
This project will help to further our understanding of what goes wrong in MND-FTD. Understanding more about the biological processes and mechanisms that are changed in MND can help us develop new potential therapies which can correct or prevent the damage from being done.
Project code: 900-792