Denmark opens new centre for research in Parkinson's disease

There is good news for the approximately 12,000 Danes living with Parkinson's disease – and perhaps especially for those who will be diagnosed in the future.

The goal of a new research centre in Aarhus is to develop treatments that can slow or stop the development of this serious disorder. The centre will not only deliver ground-breaking discoveries, but it will also ensure that the results of those discoveries quickly benefit patients.

The Lundbeck Foundation has granted DKK 313 million for research into Parkinson's disease and other Lewy Body Disorders. The centre's ambitious goal is to be ready with clinical trials within 10 years. The amount has been awarded as a six-year grant of DKK 223 million with the possibility of a four-year extension of DKK 90 million.

Parkinson's and Lewy Body Disorders

Approximately 12,000 Danes are affected by Parkinson's disease.
The incurable neurodegenerative disorder is characterised by tremors, stiffness, slow movements and problems with balance. It also frequently causes dementia and autonomic problems including severe constipation and low blood pressure.
Research estimates that 17.5 million people will be suffering from Parkinson's disease worldwide by 2040.
Parkinson's disease is a Lewy Body Disorder. The disorder is name after German neurologist Friedrich Heinrich Lewy, who around 1912 described the characteristic globular protein accumulations in brain cells that are now known as Lewy bodies.

The director of the centre is Per Borghammer, professor at Aarhus University and senior hospital physician at Aarhus University Hospital. His new task is to build a research environment where some of the best Danish and international researchers will collaborate in completely new ways.

The Lundbeck Foundation Parkinson's Disease Research Center (PACE) will be located at Aarhus University Hospital. Having experts from many different research fields working closely together under the same roof will be a strong point of the centre. In practical terms, this means that researchers carrying out basic research on molecules, cells and animals will walk through the same door as clinical researchers and their patient groups - and at the at the coffee machine they will meet epidemiologists, who do registry research on larger populations.

"Important discoveries often occur at the intersection of multiple disciplines. That's why collaboration is one of our most decisive ambitions. We’re going to bring different and strong research groups much closer together. It creates a unique environment both in depth and breadth," says Per Borghammer.

New talents bring new knowledge

The goal is for the centre to conduct clinical trials with patients and provide initial evidence for the effectiveness of new treatments within 10 years. At the same time, researchers will be working on finding new ways of detecting Parkinson’s disease earlier – perhaps through blood tests, scans, sleep studies, skin biopsies, or samples from the gastrointestinal tract.

To help with this, the new centre will recruit a number of talented researchers from around the world, including group leaders in basic and clinical research disciplines and register-based research.

Jan Egebjerg, director of science at the Lundbeck Foundation, is looking forward to following the new neuro initiative.

"Our expectation is that the new centre will make groundbreaking discoveries and ensure that those discoveries benefit patients and society," he says, and continues:

"A cornerstone of this task will be to build capacity and new competencies. This will be achieved by recruiting outstanding international researchers to supplement the prominent research environments that already exist in Aarhus," Jan Egebjerg points out.

Putting Parkinson's on the map

Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing brain disease in the world measured by the number of cases.

Dean of Health at Aarhus University, Anne-Mette Hvas, emphasises that Aarhus has a decades-long tradition of different research groups conducting Parkinson's research. She now looks forward to seeing them work even closer together at and with the new centre.

"We’ll have the influence and capacity to garner greater international attention – and even better opportunities for world-class research. I’m also happy that the centre will be future-proofing the field by establishing a strong talent-development programme for the next generation of basic researchers and clinicians,” says Anne-Mette Hvas.

Chair of the Regional Council Anders Kühnau sends grateful thanks to the Lundbeck Foundation.

"On behalf of the patients, I’m pleased that we’ll now have a national centre for Parkinson's disease that will develop new diagnostic and treatment options for the benefit of patients. And we’re also proud that the specialist centre will be located at Aarhus University Hospital. This is amazing news that will benefit Parkinson's patients both in Denmark and the rest of the world," says Anders Kühnau.

On 26 February, DR aired a segment about the new centre - get more information here (in Danish).

Lundbeck Foundation Parkinson’s Disease Research Center (PACE)

Lundbeck Foundation Parkinson's Disease Research Centre (PACE) is established with a grant of DKK 313 million from the Lundbeck Foundation.
The centre will research Lewy Body Disorders, of which Parkinson's disease is the most common.
The research will lead to improved treatments and pave the way for disease modification of Lewy Body Disorders. The goal is that within 10 years, the centre will conduct clinical trials with patients and provide initial documentation on the effectiveness of treatments.
To reach this goal, the new centre will recruit a number of talented researchers from around the world, including research leaders within basic science, neurology and neuroepidemiology.
The centre will be part of the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University and will be located at Aarhus University Hospital.
Offices will be located in the INCUBA science park, which is a five-minute walk from the specialised research facilities and laboratories at Aarhus University Hospital.
In a few years, the centre is expected to employ around 70 people and have interdisciplinary collaborations with key institutions and leading researchers around the world.

Contact

Clinical Professor, DMSc and PhD Per Borghammer
Aarhus University, Department of Clinical Medicine and
Aarhus University Hospital, Nuclear Medicine & PET-Centre
Telephone: +45 93 52 15 06
Email: borghammer@clin.au.dk

Dean Anne-Mette Hvas
Health, Aarhus University
Telephone: +45 87 15 20 07
Email: dean.health@au.dk

Chief Executive Officer Thomas Balle Kristensen
Aarhus University Hospital
Telephone: +45 30 38 71 93 / AUH press officer +45 52 73 69 58
Email: tbk@auh.rm.dk