Flying Foxes in Harrogate
Report by Janet Smith

Fruit flies, zebra fish and the flying fox fruit bat were hot topics of conversation in Harrogate last month.

These species from the animal kingdom all have a part to play in discovering causes and cures for Motor Neurone Disease, said Dr Brian Dickie.

He was speaking at the Spring Conference of the MND Association, at Harrogate.
Dr Dickie, MND Association Director of Research and Development, introduced the audience to the work discussed at the International Symposium on MND/ALS in Philadelphia. Both fruit flies and zebra fish are used in research, he explained, but the bat story was a little stranger.

It involved people living on the South Pacific island of Guam who eat the bats as a delicacy. Studies have been conducted because a high rate of people on Guam have presented with a degenerative condition similar to MND which has mystified scientists for more than 50 years.

(Read full story in the latest Thumbprint, page 17, of the MND Association's members magazine).

As well as flies, fish and bats, Dr Dickie explained the work being under-taken in a study of Italian footballers where a higher than expected number of players had developed MND.

Glenys Marriot, Trustee of the Association, took everyone through a richly varied programme of speakers. Before lunch, (where flying fox fruit bat wasn't on the menu), delegates heard from Dr Angela Burns about the role played by carers, and recent legislation for their support.

In the afternoon it was the turn of Tricia Holmes, Director of Care Development for the MND Association, to discuss the 14 Care centres funded by the Association, which will benefit people living with MND.

The day finished with a look at research from Dr Andy Grierson of Sheffield University.

He explained how it was now important to study the biological nature of the known disease-causing mutations of MND, so that it could be better understood.

The day was a great success, for as well as learning more about research and care, it gave those living with MND, their carers and many professionals, a chance to chat, refresh old friendships, make new acquaintances - including saying hello to the MND Association's new Chief Executive officer, Dr Kirstine Knox.