Ninth UK Neuromuscular Translational Research Conference 22Nd – 23Rd March 2016
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Ninth UK Neuromuscular Translational Research Conference 22nd – 23rd March 2016 Medical Sciences Teaching Centre Oxford Oxford, OX1 3PL Table of Contents Welcome from the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases and from Muscular Dystrophy UK .......................................................................................... 2 About the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases and Muscular Dystrophy UK ............ 5 Patient organisations ............................................................................................. 8 Programme .......................................................................................................... 9 Flash poster list ................................................................................................... 14 Poster list ........................................................................................................... 15 Invited speaker abstracts ...................................................................................... 24 Poster and platform presentation abstracts .............................................................. 30 Clinical trials in the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases ................................... 111 Delegate list ...................................................................................................... 131 MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases staff list ................................................... 140 Conference Planning Group ................................................................................. 143 MDUK supported Principal Investigators ................................................................ 144 Educational opportunities .................................................................................... 145 Sponsors ........................................................................................................... 147 1 Welcome to the UK Neuromuscular Translational Research Conference, Oxford 2016 Dear Colleagues, We are delighted to welcome you to Oxford for the ninth annual UK Neuromuscular Translational Research Conference. We are very pleased that this conference continues to be jointly hosted by the MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases and Muscular Dystrophy UK. In addition, this year we have worked closely with colleagues in the London-Newcastle MRC Centre steering committee, the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research in Newcastle and the MRC Functional Genomics unit in Oxford to develop the scientific translational research programme. Major translational themes this year include a wide ranging session on genomic therapies, an in-depth review of next generation biomarkers and a session tackling the difficult issue of defining and how to deal with big data. We are delighted to welcome Professor David Beeson from the University of Oxford to deliver the third John Newsom-Davis lecture. Professor Beeson’s renowned work on inherited neuromuscular junction disorders makes him the ideal person to deliver this lecture. After our inaugural and very successful patient day at our conference in Newcastle last year, we are running another patient day this year the day before the conference itself. The mission of the MRC Centre is to translate science into new experimental medicine trials and find treatments for children and adults with serious muscle wasting diseases. Collaborative working and interdisciplinarity represent a fundamental platform for successful translation. The MRC Centre works to bring together clinicians, scientists, patient organisations and patients in order to advance the UK translational research effort. This is a particularly exciting time in the field as scientific discoveries are revealing an increasing number of tractable therapeutic targets. The MRC Centre continues to work closely with all its partners to support the development of a clinical trials culture and aims to embed an experimental clinical trials network in neuromuscular clinical practice. We will continue to work hard to form effective research and clinical links with as many other UK neuromuscular groups as possible. In the renewed Centre (renewed 2013-2018) we have developed strong experimental medicine links with, and received important coordinated support from, three NHS NIHR Biomedical Research Centres based at University College London Hospitals, Great Ormond Street and at Newcastle University Hospitals. The MRC Centre is also pleased to contribute to the NIHR National Rare Diseases Translational Research Collaboration. The MRC Centre was established in 2008 as a joint partnership between the UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, the UCL Institute of Child Health and the Newcastle University and was renewed for a further five years in 2013. The Centre continues to be closely linked to its partner NHS organisations, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Centre has also developed strong links with groups in Oxford and Cambridge which we continue to build on in this current phase of the Centre. Over the next two days this conference aims to showcase a wide range of high quality scientific neuromuscular research from many UK groups, international colleagues and industry partners. 2 We have received 125 high quality abstracts, and there will be platform presentations and dedicated poster sessions each day as well as guided poster discussions. This year will be the second time we add a poster flash session where abstracts are selected to be presented in 5 minute slots using only three slides. We hope this will prove a popular session. There will be five £500 poster prizes for young investigators. Accepted abstracts will be published in a special supplement of the journal Neuromuscular Disorders with Professor Mary M. Reilly as the special guest editor. As the Centre Director, I would very much like to thank Professor Mary M. Reilly who has led the joint MRC-Muscular Dystrophy UK meeting scientific planning team: Professors Kate Bushby, Doug Turnbull, Francesco Muntoni, Professor Dame Kay E Davies, Professor Kevin Talbot and Dr Marita Pohlschmidt. I also sincerely thank Christine Oldfield and Dr Marita Pohlschmidt for their very hard work in organising this meeting. I am very grateful for the interest, sponsorship and support of industry colleagues who are working with us to develop new therapies for patients with neuromuscular diseases. Once again this annual meeting has been oversubscribed. We are very encouraged that there continues to be such strong interest in neuromuscular translational research from throughout the UK and beyond. We sincerely hope that you have a stimulating, productive and entertaining two days in Oxford. Professor Michael G. Hanna Professor Mary M. Reilly Director Co-Director MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases UCL Institute of Neurology UCL Institute of Neurology Professor Francesco Muntoni Professor Katie Bushby Co-Director, ICH/GOS Co-Director, Newcastle MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases UCL Institute of Neurology Newcastle University Professor Doug Turnbull Professor Dame Kay E. Davies Co-Director Director, MRC Functional Genomics Unit MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases University of Oxford Newcastle University Dr Marita Pohlschmidt Professor Kevin Talbot Director of Research, Head of the Division of Clinical Neurology Muscular Dystrophy UK University of Oxford 3 Welcome to the Conference Robert Meadowcroft, Chief Executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK I am delighted to welcome you to Oxford and the 2016 UK Neuromuscular Translational Research Conference. We have expert speakers, interesting research posters and a great opportunity to develop and share ideas and I trust you enjoy your time here. Muscular Dystrophy UK has supported this important conference since its inception and we welcome and encourage the opportunity it presents to bring scientists and clinical researchers together each year. As a funder of research, we have invested more than £55million in backing cutting-edge research into neuromuscular conditions. We also make a major investment each year in improving specialist NHS care in the UK as well providing information, advice and support for families. We are planning to increase our support in the coming years of high-quality science and translational research here in the UK and through international partnerships to address a number of the rarer conditions such as nemaline myopathy and the Collagen VI disorders. We share the concern of many families and supporters that every day counts in the race to develop effective treatments particularly for the more aggressive conditions that affect children. For many adults with a muscle-wasting condition, there is a similar focus on research and also an understanding that expert clinical care, retaining independence and enjoying the best possible quality of life are all important goals. We are encouraged by the significant progress being made towards ensuring effective treatments although there are many questions that remain unanswered. We need to develop and refine the use of MRI and also develop additional outcome measures. The heterogeneity of many conditions underlines the need for better characterisation and an improved understanding of the natural history. Nevertheless, we are very encouraged by the increase, year on year, in the number of clinical trials