Projects

The purpose of SMA Europe is to provide a framework to stimulate collaboration and accelerate translational research pathways in SMA and promote patient care.

  1. Determining the temporal, spatial and molecular signature of hypoxia in SMA

    Principal investigator(s) :
    Professor Simon Parson
    Institution :
    University of Aberdeen - UK
    Grant :
    €109,293
    Grant Type:
    Operating Grant
    Call number :
    8
    Start year :
    2016
    Duration :
    2 years
    Status :
    Ongoing


    Simon Parson - square - smProfessor Simon Parson, who heads up a lab at Aberdeen University, was granted an SMA Europe award to see if  a decreased oxygen supply to the motor nerves have severe, negative consequences on these nerves and other important body systems.

    The role of hypoxia in SMA

    Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) results in motor nerve loss and muscle wasting, with current therapies aiming to restore movement and control to affected children, in the hope of providing a healthy life.

    Professor Parson and his team have shown that insufficient blood vessels grow into essential organs in animal models and SMA patients and that this results in decreased oxygen supply to motor nerves.

    This project will use clinical imaging and modern structural and molecular techniques to measure this decreased oxygen supply and to determine what goes wrong in cells and organs in SMA. In other words, to determine the effects of hypoxia in SMA.

    What are the researhers aiming to do?

    Q Will a decreased oxygen supply to the motor nerves have severe, negative consequences on these nerves and other important body systems?

    How will the researchers do this?

    A Professor Parson and his team will look at answering this question by using clinical imaging and modern structural and molecular techniques to measure this decreased oxygen supply and to determine what goes wrong in cells and organs in SMA.