We are collaborating with scientists, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies to translate breakthroughs in the lab into life-changing treatments for people living with dementia.
Treat
We are at a tipping point in dementia research where finding a treatment that can stop the diseases is closer than ever before.
Bringing together expertise from across the UK and joining forces with pharmaceutical industries is important to achieve this. Alzheimer’s Research UK has two big initiatives dedicated to the search for new treatments.
The Drug Discovery Alliance (DDA) unites institutes in Cambridge, Oxford and London (UCL) to bridge the gap between discoveries by researchers in universities and drug development by pharmaceutical companies.
So far the DDA has made huge strides in accelerating the search for new treatments:
- The three institutes have united 85 scientists researching new treatments.
- Working with 30 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop findings in the lab.
- With 310 collaborations across 11 countries.
- Over 20 drug targets are currently being explored.
Current projects and initiatives
Looking at the blood brain barrier to help identify new treatments for dementia
Researchers in Newcastle are developing a new technique to screen for new drug targets to treat Alzheimer’s disease
Investigating how mutations affect brain inflammation in frontotemporal dementia
Researchers at King’s College London are unpicking how mutations in specific proteins affect brain inflammation in frontotemporal dementia.
Is a type of fat responsible for damage in the brain in dementia with Lewy bodies?
Dr Daniel Erskine from Newcastle University is investigating the role of a type of fat, called sphingolipids, in dementia with Lewy bodies.
Can boosting chemical messaging in the brain help people with early-stage dementia with Lewy bodies?
Researchers at Newcastle University will study how a drug affects people in early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies.
Understanding the role of metal particles in Alzheimer’s and their potential for diagnosis and treatment
Researchers at Keele University will develop ways to ‘see’ iron in the brain and explore how metals could be used as treatment targets and indicators of Alzheimer’s disease.
Developing a ‘living’ web-based platform of Alzheimer’s research
Researchers are using machine learning to develop a web-based, continuously updated platform of research in Alzheimer’s disease
Can boosting sleep help to tackle tau?
Researchers are investigating whether enhancing sleep can slow the build-up of a key Alzheimer’s protein
Investigating individual brain cell responses to disease
Researchers at University College London will study how brains are affected by prion diseases using cutting edge technology to look at individual cells