New study searches for answers to MS, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia
A new study hopes to unlock the links between genetics, brain health, and the world around us.
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have begun analysing genetic patterns within Our Future Health’s data to try to identify which people are at most risk of developing neurological conditions, and how best to treat them.
The study is 1 of 3 new research projects to be granted access to the Trusted Research Environment (TRE), our secure data interface. It means there are now over 90 research projects analysing our participants’ data, to find new ways to tackle disease.
Hope for the future
Multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease, and dementia collectively affect around 1 million people in the UK. They not only devastate lives, but together, they also place a huge economic burden on our health and social care services.
Until recently, there had been very little understanding of who is at risk of the diseases, and how to help. But there are reasons to be optimistic. For example, 2 new drugs for Alzheimer’s disease, which is a form of dementia, have been approved by medical authorities. There are currently 158 drugs for the disease in clinical trials.
The study at Queen Mary University seeks to further scientific progress by better understanding the roles that genetics and lifestyle factors play in the development of common neurological disorders.
By analysing our participants’ data, and combining it with their previous work, the researchers hope to develop prediction tools that can accurately determine how likely someone is to develop MS, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia over the course of their lifetime.
Their theory is that if we can better understand how to predict the genetic risks of these conditions, then scientists can create effective drug treatments and clinicians can implement targeted interventions.
Finding answers to age-related illness
Another study recently given access to the TRE is examining why certain people develop age-related conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia.
Researchers from University College London are studying the combined effects of genes, lifestyle, environment, and social circumstances on age-related health across the entire population.
The research team plans to use their findings to identify the main causes of age-related disease and to examine whether these triggers vary in certain ethnic and demographic groups. They will also develop and test new ways of improving the accuracy and fairness of research, with the aim of levelling up health outcomes in older people.
Using mathematical tools to predict disease
The third new study to gain access to Our Future Health’s data is relying on sophisticated computer programmes to decipher the links between mental health conditions and common physical illnesses.
Scientists from Oslo University Hospital are using advanced mathematical tools to try to predict who is at risk of disease. They hope to better understand the biological mechanisms that contribute to significant mental health conditions and physical illnesses like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
They plan to then use these tools to create risk prediction models, which could identify the types of people at most risk, and even estimate the onset of disease.
Ultimately, the Oslo team wants to reveal shared genetic links between different health conditions to improve care and guide new treatments.