New European alliance to tackle neurodegeneration
Top research institutes from Germany, France, Belgium and the UK have formed a new alliance to combat neurodegenerative diseases. Their mission? Catalysing a United Response in Europe to Neurodegenerative Diseases, or CURE-ND for short.
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, affect millions of people globally, with a significant impact on individuals, families, economies and wider society. Worldwide, around 50 million people have some form of dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year. Finding ways to prevent, treat and cure neurodegeneration is one of today’s most urgent medical needs.
Leading neuroscientists from four top European research institutes are convinced that collaboration is the only way forward to meet this challenge. The German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the Paris Brain Institute, Mission Lucidity in Belgium and the UK Dementia Research Institute have committed to share expertise and present a strong united voice to champion brain research and put an end to historic underfunding of the field in Europe.
Prof. Pierluigi Nicotera, Scientific Director of DZNE: “The added value of connecting the major European organizations that conduct research into neurodegeneration has become increasingly clear in recent years.” A new alliance is now born: CURE-ND. “With CURE-ND, we want to catalyse a united response in Europe to tackle these diseases.”
“Together, we represent a critical mass of more than 2000 researchers”, adds Prof. Alexis Brice, Director General of the Paris Brain Institute. “We have clear synergies and complementarities among our centres, which should allow a very efficient and powerful response. Our alliance embraces a joint effort to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and nurture breakthroughs in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.”
CURE-ND will facilitate the development and global implementation of neurotechnologies that enhance care for today’s and tomorrow’s patients.
Prof. Dr. Mathieu Vandenbulcke, Scientific Chairman of Mission Lucidity: “Our ambitious initiative ranges from uncovering disease mechanisms to improving clinical care. CURE-ND will facilitate the development and global implementation of neurotechnologies that enhance care for today’s and tomorrow’s patients.”
Besides bringing together excellent science to accelerate research and improve clinical care, CURE-ND aims to raise global awareness of the need to urgently address the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases, and to lobby for the necessary funding to be committed to research in this area. The partners are calling for a long-term, coordinated vision and funding of brain research in Europe.
“Collaborating across borders to address neurodegeneration is more important than ever. With the ongoing pandemic, budget cuts in Horizon Europe and uncertainty around Brexit, I’m proud that these leading institutes are taking responsibility for driving forward much-needed progress. Now is the time to pull together, not pull apart”, concludes Prof. Bart De Strooper, Director of the UK Dementia Research Institute.
Now is the time to pull together, not pull apart
About DZNE
The German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) investigates all aspects of neurodegenerative diseases in order to develop novel approaches of prevention, treatment and health care. The DZNE is comprised of ten sites across Germany and cooperates closely with universities, university hospitals, and other institutions on a national and international level. The DZNE is a member of the Helmholtz Association. www.dzne.de/en
About the Paris Brain Institute
Created in 2010, the Paris Brain Institute is a scientific and medical research centre of international excellence, located in Paris in the heart of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital. Its innovative model brings together patients, doctors, researchers and entrepreneurs in one place with a common goal: to understand the brain and accelerate the discovery of new treatments for diseases of the nervous system. The Institute thus includes a network of more than 700 researchers and clinicians, 10 cutting-edge technological platforms, 1 clinical investigation centre and more than 1,000m² for the incubation of start-ups. Since 2017, it has also been Station F's health partner, giving it a competitive advantage in the field of connected healthcare. This year, the Paris Brain Institute celebrates its tenth anniversary. https://institutducerveau-icm.org/en/
About the UK Dementia Research Institute
The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the single biggest investment in dementia research in the UK. Established in 2017 by its founding funders, the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, the £290 million institute is hosted across six leading UK universities: University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King’s College London, with its central hub at UCL. The UK DRI works on ways to prevent, treat and care for people with all types of dementia, and ways to keep the brain healthy. https://ukdri.ac.uk/