Check out your Company Bowl for anonymous work chats.
Scientists have developed potential therapies that selectively remove aggregated tau proteins and improve symptoms of neurodegeneration in mice. The team of scientists are from the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) at the University of Cambridge. They say this promising approach for Alzheimer’s disease could also be applied in future to other brain disorders driven by protein aggregation inside cells, such as: motor neuron disease Huntington’s disease Parkinson’s disease Alzheimer’s disease In two papers, published in Cell and Science, they demonstrated how utilising the unique capabilities of a protein called TRIM21 gives the potential therapies two key advantages. Firstly, they only destroyed the disease-linked tau aggregates, leaving healthy tau proteins intact. And secondly, the therapies removed already established tau aggregates in mice, not just preventing the formation of new aggregates. Find out more below
Find out more about our MRC Centres of Research Excellence
Revolutionary gene therapy technique, developed with support from MRC, has led to life-saving treatment for rare genetic childhood disease.
MRC celebrates science communication and 25 years of impact In the 25th year of its annual writing competition, the Medical Research Council (MRC) celebrates this year’s winner and the impact of the award. After 2 years of virtual ceremonies, on the evening of 20 October 2022, we held our MRC Max Perutz Science Writing Award ceremony in-person at the Royal College of Physicians. At the event, we recognised the science-writing efforts of 10 MRC PhD students shortlisted for the 2022 award and celebrated the award’s 25th anniversary. The award aims to encourage and recognise outstanding written communication by MRC PhD students. Run as an annual science writing competition, it challenges students to explain why their research matters in 1,100 words for a non-scientific audience.
