Controversies in Motor Neuron Disease Research and Practice. (360G-Wellcome-082175_Z_07_Z)

Motor neuron disease is an age-dependent neurodegenerative disease characterised by loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord leading to rapidly progressive weakness and wasting of voluntary muscle with devastating consequences. Patients develop progressive disability, dependence on others for activities of daily living and ultimately succumb to respiratory failure a median of approximately 20 months from diagnosis. MND, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a complex disease at every level; clinical, aetiological, and in its effects on people living with the disease. Approximately 10% of affected individuals have a genetic form of MND, while in the remaining 90% the cause is unknown. The most popular model for sporadic ALS/MND is as a multifactorial disease with a complex genetic susceptibility profile acting as a foundation for environmentally driven or age-dependant stochastic triggers for cell death. However, many of the key questions about the disease are unresolved and there is considerable divergence in expert opinion. These 'faultlines' of divergent opinion in MND research and practice may actually be the very key to advancing our understanding of the disease and will be the subject of this meeting. The specific aim of this Masterclass is to bring together clinicians and basic scientists to discuss these fundamental areas which could provide a 'way in' to disease pathogenesis and a way forward for collaborative research.