Your support could turn a biological breakthrough into life-changing treatments

We’re proud to be partnering with the Sheffield institute of Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) to advance the understanding of stem cell therapies for Parkinson’s disease. A diagnosis of this progressive brain condition can be devastating for patients and their families. Symptoms include tremors, stiffness, and speech difficulties as well as non-movement issues like depression and sleep problems. Whilst current treatments can reduce symptoms, no cure exists for the increasing number of people impacted by this condition across the world.

This partnership brings together BioGrad’s cell therapy and biomanufacturing capability in Liverpool, with SITraN’s world leading Parkinson’s disease research. Together, this will be a partnership of national significance within the northern powerhouse and could unlock major breakthroughs that people living with Parkinson's urgently need.

A breakthrough waiting to happen

With your support, Professor Heather Mortiboys will recruit an exceptional doctoral candidate to join her team at SITraN and lead the project. Using period, placental and umbilical cord blood from BioGrad’s first women’s biobank, they’ll create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). They'll then transform them into neurons, the type of cells most affected in Parkinson's. These neurons will form the basis of testing for novel drugs and therapies.

How your gift makes a difference

We need to raise £161,000 to take this ambitious project from vision to reality.

Your donation today will fund this vital research, which holds the key to two major breakthroughs:

Cell replacement therapy: Providing a source of healthy stem cells for cell replacement therapy in Parkinson’s.

Rapid drug discovery: Establishing a swift and accessible way to model Parkinson’s in a lab setting, paving the way for a new era of drug development.

Please make a gift today to change the future for people with Parkinson's.

If you would like to have a conversation about your support please contact Emma Davey at e.davey@sheffield.ac.uk or +44 (0)7875 405953.

If donations exceed the immediate needs of this appeal, the additional funds will be used to support the next stage of the partnership between BioGrad and SITraN.