SNI receives NINDS grant to conduct clinical research studies on brain disorders

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Reviewed

Nov 10 2011Swedish Neuroscience Institute

Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI) has been selected by the National Institutes of Health as the Pacific Northwest member of a national consortium of 25 neuroscience centers that will conduct clinical research studies on a variety of brain-related diseases. SNI received a seven-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), through a competitive selection process. The NeuroNEXT program at Swedish Neuroscience Institute will be led by Associate Chief Medical Director and Director of Neurology, John W. Henson, M.D., F.A.A.N., and Director of Research Dan Rizzuto, Ph.D.

"The strength of our clinical programs and investment in research infrastructure in the neurosciences made SNI a strong candidate for this center designation," said Dr. Henson. He noted that the major challenge for the NeuroNEXT consortium will be to translate discoveries about neurological diseases into improvements in health, while pushing the frontiers of basic research forward. Many serious neurological disorders will become more common as the U.S. population ages.

"Our research program is focused on discoveries that can be directly applied to patient care," said Dr. Rizzuto. "Everything we do is geared toward solving some problem or improving the quality of life for those who have a complex neurological disease. Participation in the NeuroNEXT consortium is a natural addition to our existing efforts." He noted that SNI has more than 80 active clinical research projects under way now in 10 different neurological diseases.

"NeuroNEXT will expand the capability to test the most promising new therapies for a wide range of neurological disorders affecting children and adults," said Elizabeth McNeil, M.D., the NIH/NINDS program director who will oversee the program. "Through 25 clinical sites across the U.S., as well as a clinical- and a data-coordinating center, NIH will provide the expertise and infrastructure needed to rapidly assess treatment options as they become available from both academic and industry investigators."

Marc Mayberg, M.D., chief medical director at SNI said, "I believe SNI was selected because of its broad areas of specialization, the track record of quality research by SNI investigators, and the high volume of patients with neurological and neurosurgical disorders treated at Swedish Neuroscience Institute."

Drs. Henson and Rizzuto along with other SNI staff will attend a kickoff meeting on Friday, Nov. 18 at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC. According to NIH, the first study will investigate a rare but devastating condition in pediatric patients called spinal muscular atrophy. The NeuroNEXT consortium hopes to identify biomarkers that improve diagnostic testing, track disease progression, and permit assessment of the effectiveness of new therapies. Identifying biomarkers for spinal muscular atrophy is an example of translational research, as the study is not testing a new therapy per se, but is expected to support the development of new therapies in the future. Due to the rare nature of spinal muscular atrophy, having a nation-wide consortium of 25 regional centers will be very important for enrolling sufficient numbers of patients into the trial.

SNI will work closely with neurologists throughout the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region and with disease-specific community organizations, such as the Multiple Dystrophy Association, to raise awareness of the NeuroNEXT trials and help identify appropriate study participants.

In addition to SNI, other NeuroNEXT clinical sites include: