Pharmaceutical Market Europe • February 2022 • 28
RESEARCH NEWS
Looking ahead: improving vision for those with Parkinson’s disease
Northumbria University is researching the impact of technological visual training as a potential rehabilitation tool for patients living with Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is the largest growing neurological disorder worldwide – it is estimated that one in 37 people are at risk of developing the condition during their lifetime.
At the forefront of the research efforts is Dr Sam Stuart, a senior researcher in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation at Northumbria.
Dr Stuart is collaborating with Senaptec, an American company working on the design, development and production of sensory performance evaluation. As part of this collaboration, Dr Stuart has teamed up with NHS Foundation Trust and, using Senaptec’s technology, is conducting clinical trials with a group of 40 people affected by the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Senaptec technology uses a sensory performance assessment station, eyewear and a mobile tablet application, with customisable preset modes. The eyewear has been developed to resemble a pair of glasses and is designed to help elite-level athletes improve the clarity and efficiency of their vision.
The study hopes to result in heightened vision capability that will improve the movement, balance, reaction time and hand-eye coordination that can be severely affected by Parkinson’s.
By combining the brain training techniques involved in the sensory station and tablet application with the eyewear, the university study aims to help improve balance and mobility in those living with Parkinson’s.
In tandem to his research at the university, Dr Stuart is involved in an international research project funded by the US Parkinson’s Foundation which studies walking interventions for people living with Parkinson’s disease. The project is running in collaboration with Northumbria Healthcare NHS and Oregon Health and Science University.
Commenting on the study, Dr Stuart said: “Research has shown that people with Parkinson’s rely more heavily on their vision for day-to-day activities. Visual and cognitive problems combined with balance issues increase the risk of falls among people with Parkinson’s. This risk can of course lead to decreased physical activity and a reduced quality of life.”
UCL unveils new facility to house Institute of Immunity and Transplantation
A new state-of-the-art facility has been unveiled as the home of University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Immunity and Transplantation (IIT). Researchers have moved into the facility, known as the Pears Building, in Hampstead – a collaboration between UCL, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL) and the Royal Free Charity.
The building – based in the grounds of the Royal Free Hospital – can accommodate up to 200 researchers. Patients participating in research programmes at the institute will be able to stay in accommodation situated on the top floors of the building.
In a unique partnership, scientists carrying out studies on the immune system will work in collaboration with doctors, nurses and patients from the Royal Free Hospital. The partnership will mean that new treatments will be developed faster in response to global health issues like COVID-19, cancer and diabetes.
The institute, priced at £60m, will unite the theory and operation of research, while also giving the public a more accessible route into the latest developments in immunology research.
The location of the new building offers various practical benefits, as Reza Motallebzadeh, associate Professor at UCL, commented: “With the UCL IIT next door to the Royal Free Hospital, it means researchers and clinicians can work closely together and with patients to ensure our research can lead to new treatments more quickly and can reap the greatest benefits to patients.”
Professor Hans Stauss, director of UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation (IIT), said that the “clinical trial facilities will help to accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new therapies for patients”.
Professor Strauss added: “The facilities in the new building will help us develop treatments to ‘turn up’ the immune system to respond to a threat from, say, a coronavirus, or to recognise cancer cells as a danger. We also explore ‘turning down’ the immune system in order to stop the rejection of transplanted organs and to treat autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.