Research
The medical research sector spends many millions of pounds on basic biochemical research and drug development. Alpha1 Awareness UK does not have massive funds to contribute to these efforts. Instead we attempt to give grants to on-going projects which need additional support to complete their work.
Some of the money comes from our general fund but most from bequests from Alpha families who have lost loved ones.
2008-2009
Last financial year (2008-2009) we helped fund Research at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. The money was to help stem cell research as it may be applied to a cure for Alpha1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.
2009-2010
This year we have made a larger grant of £1000 to the Paediatric Liver Research Fund at King's College, London. As reported on the News page this sum has been matched by the Alpha One Foundation of America.
Over the years physicians at King's have treated many thousands of children with liver failure. There are 300 Alpha infants and children being cared for. The two grants are to assist in the analysis of their case histories, demographics and liver biopses for possible trends and clinical and biochemical markers. Their stored blood samples would then serve as a starting point for different research groups who might approach liver disease in AATD from different angles.
Doctor Hadzic at King's has expressed his thanks for our donation and our arranging of the matching grant from America.
|