image: The Picostim-DyNeuMo research system, made by UK company Amber Therapeutics, is an adaptive neurostimulator seated in the skull with two electrodes placed in targeted brain circuits to sense physiological signals and provide stimulation.
Credit: Tim Denison / Amber Therapeutics
A new Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence (MRC CoRE) aims to develop brain stimulation devices to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke and childhood epilepsy.
The MRC CoRE in Restorative Neural Dynamics will receive up to £50 million over 14 years.
The centre team will investigate 'neural dynamics’, the complex and changing patterns of activity across networks of nerve cells in the brain that underlie behaviour. They will study how neural dynamics arise in health and are disturbed in brain disorders.
This will enable the researchers to develop novel interventions and devices – ranging from brain implants to non-invasive and wearable devices – that could improve how the brain and body functions.
The centre will initially focus on developing device-based approaches that harness neural dynamics for people with brain disorders to improve symptom relief and quality of life by reducing their effects on movement, memory and sleep. For example, reducing seizures in epilepsy, enhancing memory in dementia, and helping people with Parkinson’s disease or who have had a stroke to recover smooth and confident movement.
In the longer term, the team aims to use devices to reorganise brain circuits and slow down clinical progression, for example by taking advantage of mechanisms that govern the strength of connections between nerve cells. The researchers will study neural dynamics in mouse models, with computational modelling, and using human data, integrating these activities with device hardware and software development.
The MRC CoRE will work closely with clinical teams, research charities, regulatory agencies, and neurotechnology industry, including UK-based Amber Therapeutics, who last year worked with NHS partners to support a first-in-human trial of an implanted brain stimulation device to reduce seizures in a child with epilepsy. Capitalising on their experience, the centre team aims to progress from discovery research to experimental medicine and first-in-human trials, paving the way for commercialisation and healthcare system adoption of new therapies so they reach the people who need them.
It will be led by researchers at the University of Oxford, Cardiff University, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Imperial College London and Newcastle University.
Professor Peter Magill, Director of the new MRC CoRE in Restorative Neural Dynamics, from the University of Oxford, said:
“Medical devices delivering brain stimulation can target disturbed neural dynamics with high precision and accuracy. But their advantages for therapy have not been fully realised because the link between neural dynamics and the clinical use of devices is often weak or missing. We can achieve the step change needed by seizing untapped opportunities to exploit dynamics with next-generation devices so that healthy neural dynamics are restored for improved therapeutic outcomes. Gaining a better understanding of how neural circuits work from moment to moment, and how this goes wrong in brain disorders, is key to this.”
“Our research approach is centred on, and will involve, patients. To make these devices a part of every-day care in the NHS, we need approaches and technologies that provide greater clinical benefits and are also accessible, scalable and cost-effective. We also know that one size will not fit all. Everyone’s lived experience with these conditions is different. So, it’s important that we tailor treatments to meet diverse needs and priorities. We can tackle this by intelligently interacting with neural dynamics in affected brain areas at the right times and with the best tools.”
“This endeavour is not just about the research but also how we will deliver it. Our ambition is to set new benchmarks in research culture, stakeholder involvement, and collaborative working between public and private sectors. We aim to create a national asset that empowers and enables people and organisations across the board.”
Lord Vallance, UK Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, said:
“Creating a dedicated centre to explore how to develop more targeted brain stimulation devices could improve the lives of millions across the UK and beyond who are living with conditions like Parkinson's, dementia, and epilepsy.
“This centre, backed by Government funding, will bring together researchers and partners in industry to develop new technology that could in time help the NHS and transform the lives of those suffering with these awful diseases, while also growing our economy.”
Professor Patrick Chinnery, MRC Executive Chair, said:
“We are really excited to see the successful transition of vital work, which has already generated a deep understanding of the complex patterns of nerve activity in the brain, from the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit to the new MRC Centre of Research Excellence for Restorative Neural Dynamics. This new centre aims to forge pathways to exploit the powerful potential of brain stimulation devices to restore interactions between nerve cells for patient benefit across a range of brain disorders.
“The MRC’s CoRE funding model aims to revolutionise approaches to the treatment of brain disorders by bringing together the very best researchers, across different fields including neuroscientists, engineers and translational experts from industry, to tackle this challenge. In addition, the centres will be beacons of excellence driving positive changes in research culture, and in training the next generation of pioneers in the field.
“By addressing some of the toughest challenges in brain disorder treatments, such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, we aim for this Centre to make significant health advancements in the coming years, with the added benefit of placing the UK at the forefront of this economically important and rapidly evolving field.”