Project Aim(s):To decipher the causal link between histone deacetylases and triplet repeat expansions.

One promising approach for the treatment of PD is cellular brain repair whereby the cells that have died in the condition are replaced by transplantation of healthy cells into the brain. However, this approach has faced several limitations including poor survival of the transplanted cells in the PD brain. To address this limitation, we have recently shown that biomaterials - that is, materials that have been specifically engineered to interact with living systems for therapeutic purposes – have the potential to dramatically improve cellular brain repair for PD.

PMSMatTrain focuses on gaining a comprehensive understanding of the progressive  phase of multiple sclerosis (PMS) from basics to translation, fully supported by eight beneficiaries (six research institutions and two SMEs).

Numerous clinical trials have shown that neurons can be transplanted into the Parkinson’s diseased brain to replace the dopamine neurons that have died as a result of the disease process. However, to date, there is no established source of neurons that can be used for widespread application of this therapy. This project is investigating stem cells extracted from the bone marrow as a potential cell source for brain repair and/or protection.

BrainMatTrain focuses on a comprehensive understanding of Parkinson’s disease, from basics to translation, fully supported by eight full partners (four research institutions, two hospitals, two SMEs) and one partner organisation (SME specialist in device design). This European Training Network will educate and train 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) in functionalised biomaterials, materials science, functionalisation strategies, molecular biology, stem cell biology, in vitro model systems, in vivo neuroimaging, preclinical models and prototype design.