Change Maker’s quest for cruel disease’s cause and cure

26 April 2016

Change Maker’s quest for cruel disease’s cause and cure

World leading researcher into Batten disease, Lincoln University Professor David Palmer, is giving a public lecture as part of the Change Maker series on campus on April 28 at 6pm, entitled Animal models used to develop human medical treatment.Gene therapy for fatal neurodegenerative disease in sheep.

Battens disease is a group of fatal inherited neurodegenerative diseases which affects about 1 in 12,500 children worldwide.

The disease is also found in sheep and Professor Palmer has developed a flock to try to identify a cause and treatment which can be used to develop a way to help treat the condition in humans. He sees the potential for other conditions to be studied in the same way, and has colleagues around the world.

His ongoing work, which he started in 1980, uses Lincoln’s specialist animal facilities.

From Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand:

“Batten disease is a fatal, inherited lysosomal disorder of the nervous system that typically begins in childhood. Early symptoms of this disorder usually appear between the ages of 5 and 10 years, when parents or physicians may notice a previously normal child has begun to develop vision problems or seizures. In some cases the early signs are subtle, taking the form of personality and behaviour changes, slow learning, clumsiness, or stumbling. Over time, affected children suffer mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Eventually, children with Batten disease become blind, bedridden, and demented. Batten disease is often fatal by the late teens or twenties.”

Professor Palmer has featured in numerous publications – below are a few links where you can find out a bit more

http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/63423984/woolly-thinking-a-real-lifesaver

https://farmersweekly.co.nz/article/pioneer-keen-to-finish-work-on-batten-disease?p=7

http://www.nzirdr.org.nz/researchers_directory/search_the_directory/professor_david_palmer

http://curekids.org.nz/news/article/breakthrough-research-batten-disease

http://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/358645/glimmer-hope

For more details on the Change Maker series go here:

http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/Lincoln-Home/News-and-Events/The-Change-Makers-Series/

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