Gene discovery furthers MND understanding

This news item was added on 3rd March 2008

A discovery by an international team led by King's College London is being hailed as the most important breakthrough in motor neurone disease (MND) research for 15 years.

Their study found that a mutated gene is responsible for a rare, inherited form of the neurodegenerative disease.

The gene codes for a protein called TDP-43, which accumulates abnormally in MND patients and is now thought to be "directly toxic" to motor neurones.

Brian Dickie, director of research development at the MND Association, said that the discovery will allow researchers "to rapidly generate more pieces of the complex puzzle that is MND".

The study's lead researcher, Professor Chris Shaw, said: "We are very excited by this discovery."

The professor added that the study will "bring us closer to developing more effective therapies".

Around seven in every 100,000 people are living with MND at any one time, most of whom are between the ages of 50 and 70.