'Degen-lock' - a novel way of protecting the nervous system in Motor Neurone Disease

我们正在开发一种治疗神经系统疾病运动神经元病（MND）的方法。目前还没有治愈MND的方法，目前市场上的治疗方法对延缓疾病进展几乎没有作用。这种情况是由称为运动神经元的脑细胞的特定子集死亡引起的。这些细胞通常指导肌肉何时运动，它们的死亡会导致患者经历进行性和不可逆转的瘫痪。随着病情的发展，许多患者发现说话、吞咽和呼吸困难，这使他们面临窒息或呼吸衰竭的风险。超过80%的患者在确诊后5年内无法存活。MND患者脑细胞死亡的原因之一是大脑的慢性炎症。有些炎症可能是一件好事——它可以杀死病毒和细菌，帮助清除碎片和死细胞。然而，当这种炎症失去控制时，它会杀死脑细胞，加速MND的发展。为了治疗MND，需要一种非常强大但特殊的抗炎药——保护运动神经元，同时让大脑的其他部分从炎症的积极作用中受益。因此，我们发明了一种新技术，“degen-lock”，它针对MND中死亡的脑细胞产生抗炎作用，保护它们免受炎症的影响。来自innovate UK的这笔拨款将允许我们测试和开发靶向系统，并创建我们的精神疾病治疗的原型。

We are developing a treatment for a neurological disease called motor neuron disease (MND). There is no cure for MND and the current therapies on the market do little to delay disease progression.This condition is caused by the death of a particular subset of brain cells known as motor neurons. These cells normally instruct muscles when to move, and their death causes patients to experience a progressive and irreversible paralysis. As the disease advances many patients find it difficult to talk, swallow and breathe, putting them at risk of choking or respiratory failure. Over 80% of patients will not survive 5 years after diagnosis.One of the reasons brain cells die in MND is chronic inflammation in the brain. Some inflammation can be a good thing-- it kills viruses and bacteria and helps to remove debris and dead cells. However, when this inflammation gets out of control it can kill brain cells, accelerating the progression of MND.To treat MND an extremely strong, but specific, anti-inflammatory is required --protecting motor neurons but allowing the rest of the brain to benefit from positive effects of inflammation. We have therefore invented a new technology, 'degen-lock' which targets an anti-inflammatory effect to the brain cells which are dying in MND, protecting them from inflammation.This grant from innovate UK will allow us to test and develop the targeting system and create a prototype of our MND therapy.