MND Scotland Funded Project Aims to Reduce Loss of Function in Motor Neurons

PhD student, Brittany Ellis, is aiming to develop a method of alleviating or preventing damage to axons, which could help identify disease-modifying interventions for MND.

With a current research portfolio of £2.8 million, MND Scotland is committed to funding pioneering motor neuron disease (MND) research and we’d like to extend a warm welcome to Brittany, who has become the newest member of our community of researchers.

Following rigorous competition, Dr Tatyana Shelkovnikova of the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), was awarded £85,000 for the 2022 MND Scotland PhD studentship. Supervised by Dr Shelkovnikova, Brittany has now started work on her PhD research project ‘Small molecule modulators of stathmin-2 splicing as a novel ALS therapy‘.

Motor neurons are the nerve cells which send signals from the brain to the muscles, and an important part of the motor neuron is the axon. Axons behave like electrical cables, transmitting signals from the neuron to the muscles.

There is growing evidence which suggests that long before symptoms of MND begin, the integrity and function of axons become severely affected in people who are later diagnosed with the condition.

Research has shown that a molecule called Strathmin-2 is essential for the axons to function normally and that reduced levels of Strathmin-2 result in the degeneration of the axons and loss of function of the motor neurons.

Speaking about her passion for Neuroscience, Brittany said: “I have been fascinated by the science of the human body throughout my educational career. I now hope to contribute to the identification of new disease-modifying therapies for neurodegenerative diseases that are currently incurable.”

Thanking the MND Scotland fundraising community for making this vital research possible, Brittany said: “I would like to thank MND Scotland for their generosity in funding this research. Without their support I would be unable to pursue my own scientific goals and more importantly, take steps towards a brighter future for MND patients.”

Dr Jane Haley, Director of Research said: “I’m delighted to welcome Brittany to our community of MND Scotland funded researchers as our newest PhD student. Understanding how axons die, and the molecular paths that could be targeted to prevent this is important particularly since this step appears to occur early in disease progression.  Finding an intervention that prevents early loss of motor neurons may provide routes to new treatments for people with MND. This work is only made possible by many generous donations from our supporters, and I’d like to thank everyone for making it possible for MND Scotland to support this exciting project.”

You can help to fund vital research projects by making a donation here and for more ways to support people across Scotland affected by MND, please visit us here.