Two million euro Novo Nordisk Tandem programme funding received
Each year the Novo Nordisk Foundation supports Danish research within biomedicine, biotechnology, general medicine, and health services. Marianne Juhler, Copenhagen CSF Study Group in tandem with Nanna McAuley, Center for Neuroscience/Section of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience have received a two million euro grant from the Novo Tandem programme.
Funding was received for the project: “Hydrocephalus patients – novel approaches towards telemetric monitoring and pharmacological management of the intracranial pressure.”
Imbalance in brain fluids has serious consequences. We therefore need to understand what controls the production of fluids. The funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation will be spent on a translational research collaboration. The aim of the project is to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the secretion of brain fluid and their deregulation in hydrocephalus patients (water in the head).
Why is this research important?
We have yet to identify the molecular mechanisms controlling the water balance of the brain, and therefore hydrocephalus continues to be treated surgically. During the operation a ‘valve’ is attached to the ventricular system in the brain. This ‘valve’ has an average service life of two years, and the patients are therefore subjected to repeated neurosurgical operations throughout their life. We want to investigate possible molecular targets for future pharmacological treatment of hydrocephalus patients, possibly as a supplement to neurosurgical operations.
An additional focus of the project is the development of automated signal analysis of long-term ICP monitoring for both improved guidance of clinical ICP/hydrocephalus management and for research in ICP regulatory physiology.