A research team at ANU is investigating ways of using protein-inspired nanoscaffolds to treat a form of dementia that affects many people who have Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is not only a progressive neurological disorder – up to 90 per cent of patients experience dementia as their disease progresses.
ANU researcher Associate Professor David Nisbet has won a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Fellowship worth more than $665,000 to conduct the study.
“Pharmacological therapy is available for people with Parkinson’s disease dementia, but it only offers symptomatic relief,” he said.
“Our study will use peptide-based molecular hydrogels to anchor therapeutic factors that will prevent or slow the death of neurons.”
Dr Nisbet’s Fellowship will bring together the research expertise of researchers in neuroscience, chemistry and engineering.
ANU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Harding congratulated Dr Nisbet on the NHMRC Fellowship.
“To be awarded an NHMRC Fellowship is a fantastic achievement for Dr Nisbet. It highlights the value of collaborative approaches to research to find new ways of diagnosis and treat disease,” said Professor Harding.