Specialist gene therapy centre for UK

Monday September 9th, 2019

A major centre for developing gene therapies and similar treatments is to be established in the UK at Harwell, Oxford, it was announced today.

The government is putting some £30 million into the creation of the nucleic acid therapy accelerator (NATA), which will aim to develop treatments based on DNA, RNA and related compounds.

Researchers have their sights on dementia and Parkinson's disease, according to a government announcement today.

It is part of a £130 million investment into new technologies, which will also see investment in artificial intelligence to help tackle social care and multi-morbidity.

According to its developers, NATA will be available to help other research centres working on genomic medicines.

Professor Sir Mark Walport, chief executive of UK Research and Innovation, said: "Supporting people to live long, healthy and independent lives is a fundamental value of our society and, as our population ages, one of the biggest challenges we face.

"This £133 million investment will tackle important chronic diseases and also create a national centre of evidence for implementing the best evidence to provide adult social care."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "We’ve got to bring NHS technology into the 21st century. I’m determined that the benefits of these advances will improve the lives of thousands of patients whose conditions have long been considered life-limiting."

Tags: Brain & Neurology | Genetics | NHS | UK News

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