A major UK research investment is placing sleep, blood vessels and combination drug therapies at the centre of efforts to slow or prevent neurodegenerative diseases before symptoms become irreversible.
Backed by £16.5m from the Medical Research Council (MRC), five ambitious studies aim to uncover new treatment pathways for conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, which collectively affect tens of millions of people worldwide.
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance believes the studies can transform care for neurodegenerative diseases: “These studies are a great example of what can happen when industry, academia, charities and patients all work together to drive medical research forward.
“Boosting our understanding of some of the neurodegenerative diseases that can lead to dementia is critical to tackling this cruel illness.
“It will help us develop the treatments that will hopefully, one day, stop dementia in its tracks and spare so many families from the heartache it causes.”
Why early action on neurodegenerative diseases matters
More than 55 million people globally live with dementia, at an estimated economic cost exceeding $1.3 trillion.
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, develops gradually over many years, with harmful brain changes occurring long before memory loss or confusion becomes obvious.
Scientists increasingly agree that intervening earlier offers the best chance of preserving independence and quality of life for those at risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
SleepBoost: Investigating the brain’s night-time repair system
One of the flagship projects, SleepBoost, is led by the University of Bristol and supported by a £4.3m grant.
The study will explore whether improving sleep quality can slow the biological processes linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers will focus on slow-wave sleep, also known as deep sleep, which is believed to help clear toxic proteins from the brain.
Recruitment is due to begin later this year across 11 UK research sites. Participants will undergo detailed sleep monitoring alongside brain scans, blood and spinal fluid tests, and memory assessments.
Importantly, the study plans to recruit people from diverse backgrounds, including South Asian communities, who may be disproportionately affected by poor sleep and dementia risk.
Diverse research targets across neurodegenerative diseases
While sleep and Alzheimer’s disease form a major focus, the broader programme addresses multiple drivers of neurodegeneration.
Two studies, led by the University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London, will examine cerebral small vessel disease, a form of blood vessel damage responsible for around 40% of dementia cases and a major cause of stroke.
Another project, led by University College London, will test a dual-drug approach in Parkinson’s disease. By combining medications already used for vascular and metabolic conditions, researchers hope to target vulnerable brain cells and simultaneously alter harmful chemical processes.
Digital symptom tracking and biological samples will help determine whether this strategy can slow disease progression.
Each study involves collaboration with industry partners, bringing access to advanced technologies, specialist expertise and drug development experience.
These partnerships are designed to accelerate innovation, helping discoveries move more quickly from research settings into potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
Experimental medicine brings research closer to patients
All five MRC-funded projects use an experimental medicine approach, meaning scientists work directly with people rather than relying solely on laboratory models.
This method allows researchers to observe biological changes in real time, such as brain activity during sleep, shifts in blood flow, or how the brain responds to new or repurposed drugs.
The goal is to generate results that can move more quickly into clinical practice for neurodegenerative diseases.
Patient voices at the heart of research design
A defining feature of the funding programme is the strong emphasis on patient and public involvement.
With support from Alzheimer’s Society, people with lived experience of dementia reviewed every proposal, assessing how well each study reflected patient priorities.
Their feedback helped shape the final research plans, ensuring that the science remains relevant, ethical and focused on outcomes that matter most to families affected by neurodegenerative diseases.
From discovery to treatment: Accelerating clinical impact
To ensure rapid translation into real-world benefits, each project will align with the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Goals programme, led by the Office for Life Sciences.
This national initiative aims to shorten the path from discovery to new treatments, helping promising experimental findings contribute directly to better care and outcomes for people living with dementia.
A new chapter in neurodegenerative disease research
Together, these five studies represent a coordinated push to rethink how neurodegenerative diseases are treated – shifting focus toward early intervention, personalised approaches and mechanisms such as sleep and vascular health.
If successful, the programme could lay the groundwork for a new generation of therapies, offering hope to millions facing the growing global challenge of dementia and related conditions.
