SCIENTISTS with Scottish universities have identified a new way to detect signs of motor neuron disease (MND) ...
SCIENTISTS with Scottish universities have identified a new way to detect signs of motor neurone disease .
The TDP-43 aptamer is able to identify damaged cell proteins in brain tissue samples that can indicate MND before the cells malfunction – when symptoms would start to appear and the state at which current tools can detect signs of the illness. The research was led by Dr Jenna Gregory, who has predicted the latest breakthrough could help trigger a step-change in MND research.
MND, also known as ALS, affected around 5000 people in the UK and is caused by the accumulation of certain proteins in the brain that clump together, causing the cells to gradually stop working and, as the disease progresses, it impairs movement, thinking and breathing, and worsens over time.The improved accuracy of this new detection tool revealed these proteins can start to make small clumps in the brains of people with MND before those brain regions show symptoms.
Lee said: “Motor neurone disease is a devastating condition for which there are currently no effective treatments and long delays in diagnosis.
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