BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal to raise vital funds for MND research
26 May 2010
The Brain Research Trust is delighted to have been selected to make a BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal on Sunday 6th June. We will use this wonderful opportunity to raise vital funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease (MND). All funds raised from the appeal will go to University College London’s Institute of Neurology Queen Square, for research designed to improve MND diagnosis and find an effective treatment for this devastating condition. 
The appeal will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 6th June at 07.55 and 21.26 and will be repeated the following Thursday 10th June at 15.27 on FM 92.4-94.6. It will be presented by TV and Radio journalist, Sheena McDonald (pictured left), herself a survivor of massive brain injury. Sheena kindly presented our previous Radio 4 appeal for brain tumour research in 2006, which funded breakthroughs in understanding how and why brain tumours form.
You can now listen to the appeal via the BBC iPlayer.
About MND
MND is the name given to a relatively rare group of disorders, the most common form being called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerves and muscle, causing death within a few years of onset.
Ten percent of sufferers have the so-called inherited form, and can pass the condition onto their children. There is currently no cure.
MND destroys the nerves responsible for voluntary movements. Normally, these nerves act as the messenger, translating and relaying our wish to move, from the brain to the particular muscles required. In MND, these nerves progressively die so that the muscles no longer receive these messages, resulting in paralysis and loss of voluntary movement.
Eventually, nearly all muscles become paralysed and so the sufferer is unable to move. It may also affect the muscles required to talk and swallow and patients may end up unable to communicate or eat a normal diet.
The muscles for breathing are also frequently affected and patients often require a machine to help them breathe. Mental abilities are not usually affected and therefore patients generally remain aware of their deteriorating physical condition.
About MND research
Scientists have discovered that the build-up of abnormal proteins in the brain and spinal cord can lead to the development of MND. Researchers at the Institute of Neurology now wish to use imaging techniques to study the aggregation and deposition of proteins to better understand how the disease progresses. This will enable them to develop a non-invasive technique that will help to diagnose the condition and track its advance, and may also help to identify potential treatments for MND. Moreover, this research will improve our understanding of other neurodegenerative diseases that involve protein build-up, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease.
This project, undertaken by the Institute of Neurology’s Graham Watts Laboratories for Research into Motor Neurone Disease, will cost around £30,000 and will take three years to complete.
Please show your support and tune into BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 6th June. It will be broadcast at 07.55 and 21.26 and will be repeated the following Thursday 10th June at 15.27 on FM 92.4-94.6
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