Alzheimer's Research UK's guide to making a Will June 2023 - Flipbook - Page 5
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One of our researchers is Dr Daniel
Erskine, a Research Fellow at
Newcastle University. His work was
made possible thanks to a generous
gift in a Will.
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the
third most common cause of dementia,
but at the moment there are no treatments
that can slow down or stop the disease.
In DLB, a protein called alpha-synuclein
becomes ‘sticky’, and many treatments in
development focus on stopping it from
sticking together. Dr Erskine thinks that
there might be a more effective way to
treat DLB: stopping changes to a type of fat
called sphingolipids.
He, and others, think that this type of fat
adversely affects the cell’s batteries, and
blocks its waste disposal system. His
research will give us a better
understanding of exactly how the disease
causes damage to the brain, which will be
vital in finding new drug targets to help
discover a life-changing treatment.
I have always been inspired by
people with dementia and their families,
but my personal motive to work in
dementia research grew stronger when
my grandfather was diagnosed with the
condition. Watching his decline and
ultimate death due to dementia was a
tremendously difficult experience, but
one that has strengthened my resolve to
contribute to a world where people can
live without the fear of dementia.
Dr Daniel Erskine,
Researcher funded by
Alzheimer’s Research UK
