Current research: towards a cure for Parkinson's

Researcher We are currently funding 30 Parkinson's research projects exploring new treatments for Parkinson's including stem cells and gene therapy.

We're committed to developing new and better treatments for Parkinson's and, ultimately, a cure.

Here are details of some of the research projects we are funding in this area.

Stem cell research projects

Stem cell therapies offer great hope to people with Parkinson's. The aim is to replace the nerve cells lost in Parkinson's with healthy new cells.

Find out more about our stem cell research projects

Correcting LRRK2 to develop better treatments

Dr Hardy Rideout, Academy of Athens
£35,000 over 12 months
Start date: September 2012
International innovation grant: K-1208

Changes in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of inherited Parkinson's and correcting these changes may be the key to better treatments for Parkinson's.

Correcting LRRK2 to develop better treatments - research project summary (PDF, 190KB)

Can we predict Parkinson's?

Dr Alastair Noyce, University College London
£246,439 over 3 years
Start date: August 2012
Doctoral Clinical Research Fellowship: F-1201

Alastair's research project ultimately aims to develop simple tests that can identify people who are at higher risk of Parkinson's before the movement symptoms appear.

Can we predict Parkinson's? - research project summary (PDF, 334KB)

Saving synapses: helping nerve cells stay connected in Parkinson's

Professor Patricia Salinas, University College London
£198,148 over 2 years
Start date: May 2012
Project grant: G-1204

Patricia hopes her study will help to develop new ideas for treating Parkinson's that can slow, stop or reverse the death of nerve cells inside the brain.

Saving synapses: helping nerve cells stay connected in Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 155KB)

Exploring 'Rab family proteins' to find new treatments for Parkinson's

Dr Flaviano Giorgini, University of Leicester
£92,957 over 18 months
Start date: April 2012
Project grant: G-1203

Flaviano and his team will use this project to fully explore the role of the Rab GTPase protein family in healthy cells and the part they play in Parkinson's.

Exploring 'Rab family proteins' to find new treatments for Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 165KB)

Tracking Parkinson's

Dr Donald Grosset, University of Glasgow
£1,633,503 over 5 years
Start date: April 2012
Themed research: J-1101

This will be the world's largest ever in-depth study of Parkinson's, involving thousands of people with the condition across the UK. The ultimate aim of this ambitious project is to find biomarkers to speed up our search for a cure.

More about our groundbreaking Tracking Parkinson's study

Looking for biomarkers in the blood

Professor Rosamonde Banks, University of Leeds
£34,324 over 12 months
Start date: March 2012
Innovation grant: K-1110

In this project, Rosamonde and her team will look for biomarkers in the blood of people with Parkinson's that could be used in tests to diagnose and monitor the condition.

A biomarker is a subtle change in the body that can be measured to tell us something about our health.

Looking for biomarkers in the blood - research project summary (PDF, 50KB)

Delivering RNAi to the brain to reduce alpha-synuclein

Professor Matthew Wood, University of Oxford
£383,602 over 3 years
Start date: January 2012
Project grant: G-1109

Matthew's project aims to develop an exciting new treatment which has the potential to slow or stop the progression of Parkinson's.

Delivering RNAi to the brain to reduce alpha-synuclein - research project summary (PDF, 92KB)

Testing new drugs to slow down nerve cell death

Dr David Dexter, Imperial College London
£90,165 over 3 years
Start date: October 2011
PhD studentship: H-1005

In this project, David will work with a PhD student to develop a new animal model. They will use their model to test new drugs to see if they can stop or slow down the death of nerve cells in the Parkinson's brain.

Testing new drugs to slow down nerve cell death - research project summary (PDF, 54KB)

A new gene therapy approach to treating Parkinson's

Dr Lydia Alvarez, University College London
£248,629 over 3 years
Start date: September 2011
Career development award: F-1101

Lydia and her colleagues have developed a new gene therapy approach that may have great potential for Parkinson's.

A new gene therapy approach to treating Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 154KB)

Targeting brain rhythms to find better treatments for Parkinson's

Dr Ian Stanford, Aston University
£177,578 over 3 years
Start date: September 2011
Project grant: G-1008

Ian wants to know if zolpidem - a drug used for the treatment of insomnia - can reduce beta activity in the brain (which is abnormally high in people with Parkinson's). This could have exciting potential as a new treatment.

Targeting brain rhythms to find better treatments for Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 170KB)

Can a diabetes drug also help people with Parkinson's?

Professor Michael Duchen, University College London
£106,835 over 2 years
Start date: August 2011
Project grant: G-1101

In this project, Michael will explore whether certain types of diabetes drugs may help to protect the nerve cells affected in Parkinson's.

Studying nicotine's potential to treat Parkinson's

Dr Stephanie Cragg, University of Oxford
£142,451 over 2 years
Start date: August 2011
Project grant: G-1103

Stephanie's research has shown that nicotine affects how nerve cells release dopamine. Her new project will explore how nicotine boosts dopamine release, and will hopefully lead to new treatments for people with Parkinson's.

Studying nicotine's potential to treat Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 170KB)

Improving the way we replace the nerve cells lost in Parkinson's

Professor Anne Rosser, Cardiff University
£184,787 over 3 years
Start date: August 2011
Project grant: G-1105

Stem cell transplants have great potential as a future cure for Parkinson's - but there are still lots of challenges. Anne aims to find ways to help transplanted nerve cells survive and work properly once they're inside the Parkinson's brain.

Improving the way we replace the nerve cells lost in Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 168KB)

How proteins combine in the brain to protect nerve cells

Professor Nick Wood, University College London
£90,580 over 3 years
Start date: February 2011
PhD Studentship: H-1006

Nick will work with a PhD student to study how 2 key proteins - PINK1 and mortalin - interact in the brain. Understanding the relationship between these proteins may help to develop new treatments for Parkinson's.

How proteins combine in the brain to protect nerve cells - research project summary (PDF, 63KB)

LRRK2 may provide a target for new treatments for Parkinson's

Dr Patrick Lewis, University College London
£250,000 over 3 years
Start date: October 2010
Career development award: F-1002

LRRK2 is one of the most common genes linked to Parkinson's. Patrick's project aims to figure out how LRRK2 works and find ways to change it - which could lead to new treatments.

LRRK2 may provide a target for new treatments for Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 382KB)

Read an interview with Patrick talking about what he does and what he thinks may be the key to finding a cure for Parkinson's.

Watch a short film of Parkinson's UK supporters visiting Patrick Lewis's lab

Targeting proteins - towards new treatments for Parkinson's

Professor Christopher Moody, University of Nottingham
£120,894 over 2 years (extended until October 2013)
Start date: October 2010
Project grant: G-1002

This project aims to develop new and better drugs for Parkinson's that work by preventing the build up of misfolded proteins inside the nerve cells that die in Parkinson's.

Targeting proteins - towards new treatments for Parkinson's - research project summary (PDF, 102KB)

Putting a stop to dyskinesia

Dr Riccardo Brambilla, University of Cardiff
£251,496 over 3 years
Start date: May 2010
Project grant: G-1001

Riccardo is investigating whether reducing nerve cell activity - by interfering with a chain of events inside nerve cells called the Ras-ERK pathway - can prevent or reduce dyskinesia.

Putting a stop to dyskinesia - research project summary (PDF, 177KB)

Can CDNF stop dopamine nerve cell death?

Dr Maeve Caldwell, University of Bristol
£216,686 over 3 years
Start date: April 2010
Project grant: G-0915

Maeve wants to know if CDNF - a natural protein that helps nerve cells to grow and survive - could be used to protect new nerve cells transplanted into the Parkinson's brain.

Can CDNF stop dopamine nerve cell death? - research project summary (PDF, 192KB)