'Race for Cures' - report marks progress on treating dementia

29th Nov 2021

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) has recently published a new report, which highlights the progress that has been made so far at the UK DRI, and the importance of sustained funding for dementia research.

Increasing funding for dementia research has been an area the UK Government set as a priority, with the Conservative 2019 manifesto pledging to double funding and speed up trials for new treatments as part. The Government’s Life Sciences Vision released earlier this year built on this commitment by placing dementia research as a priority area for investment over the next 10 years.

Race to Cures looks at some of the key work that UK DRI has funded over the past four years, which have brought about significant breakthroughs in dementia discovery research. These include: discovering biological and chemical markers in the body that can signal disease onset; developing functional maps of the brain; and designing intelligent environments that transform and personalise care for people with dementia.

The report also outlines how the UK DRI will build on this progress - from seeking new collaborations with industry to accelerate development of therapies, to developing a new state-of-the-art neuroscience research facility at University College London, which is set to host over 500 neuroscientist researchers. 

The UK DRI also includes the results of a survey it conducted of over 200 of their researchers, which reflects some of the positivity from the impact it is having. Key findings include:

• 90% think new treatments for dementia will be found in the next ten years
• 72% think the pace of discoveries and breakthroughs is increasing
• 100% think additional funding is important to enable breakthroughs

BNA Chief Executive Anne Cooke says "Neuroscience research plays a fundamental role in helping to tackle the key health challenges the UK faces, such as dementia. This new report highlights the significant impact UK DRI is already having in its hunt for new treatments and furthering our understanding of the complexity of the brain. Dementia research funding has been set as a priority by the UK Government, and harnessing and investing in the expertise of the UK's neuroscience research sector is essential to take this forward."

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