Parkinson’s UK awards Cellestial Health further funding for brain cell research
This follows its close of a £515k pre-seed equity funding round in May to accelerate the development of novel therapeutics targeting astrocytes, an often-overlooked cell type in the brain, with the first indication of Parkinson’s. And it is the second funding tranche for the company from the charity itself.
Dr Nataly Hastings is leading a team of researchers at Cellestial Health in exploring how a previously overlooked type of brain cell, called an astrocyte, could be involved in Parkinson’s.
Astrocytes are star-shaped brain cells that form large networks in the brain.
Within these networks, cells are linked by small connections which enable them to communicate and pass messages around the brain. It’s thought that a breakdown in these networks may play a role in the progression of neurological conditions.
Parkinson’s UK previously funded Cellestial Health back in 2023 to investigate whether networks of astrocytes could be restored using a drug treatment. The results suggested that, in a rat model of Parkinson’s, it was possible to successfully deliver a safe and effective treatment that could protect networks of cells.
The next step is to see whether this could work for people. Dr Hastings previously conducted research at the University of Cambridge to explore whether networks of brain cells become disrupted in people with advanced Parkinson’s. The results suggested that they do.
The new grant funding will enable Cellestial Health to build on this promising work. In collaboration with researchers at the University of Manchester, the team will explore astrocytic networks in people with Parkinson’s in more depth. They’ll use samples of brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank, including from people in earlier stages of the condition.
This study aims to help us understand when drugs that can repair astrocyte networks might be useful for people with Parkinson’s disease. It will also look for signs, called biomarkers, that show when these networks are disrupted.
Dr Hastings said: “Multiple lines of research show that astrocytes are important for brain health, therefore they are likely to be disrupted in conditions such as Parkinson’s.
“So far our new data have supported this hypothesis. The next logical step would be to protect networks of astrocytes and restore them back to health.
“The funding from Parkinson’s UK in 2023 was the first commercial funding awarded to Cellestial Health, which formed a fantastic foundation.
“We’re also very grateful for the community in the form of patient and public involvement. We’ve established an advisory group involving people with Parkinson’s and supporters, which helps us to stay centred on what we are doing and why we are doing it.”
The new project builds on the previous collaboration between Cellestial and the University of Manchester, which started over a year ago with the pilot grant support from the Wellcome Trust Innovation Labs Manchester. It helped to start the work of identifying new astrocyte-relevant biomarkers in Parkinson’s.
Dr Roy Ng, a co-investigator on the new grant from the University of Manchester side and a preclinical lead at Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, said: “We are deeply grateful to Parkinson’s UK for this generous funding, which empowers us to push the boundaries of therapeutic invention.
“It is a great opportunity and an exciting partnership between Manchester academics and Cellestial Health. Working hand-in-hand with industry partners and charities is crucial to translating lab discoveries into effective treatments that improve lives.”
Professor David Dexter, Director of Research at Parkinson’s UK, added: “We are really pleased to award further funding to Cellestial Health to continue building on promising work investigating astrocytes in Parkinson’s. Exploring cells beyond dopamine-producing cells opens up the opportunity for new drug targets and could lead to new ways to slow or stop the progression of Parkinson’s.”