Learn how researchers at the UK DRI at King's combine stem cell models, microfabrication and advanced imaging to reveal the first steps in ALS and FTD
The UK DRI at King’s operates from the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute and focuses on understanding the molecular roots of neurodegenerative disease. By mapping out the first deviations in brain cells that precede clinical symptoms, the Centre aims to reveal what triggers conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
This work is grounded in the belief that spotting the earliest changes in the nervous system will create opportunities for earlier diagnosis and more effective interventions.
The Centre’s approach pairs fundamental biology with engineering and computational analysis to build models that reflect human disease more accurately.
Investigators study both conditions together because, although clinically different, ALS and FTD share overlapping genetic and pathological features. Working in parallel enables the team to separate what is disease-specific from what is common to both, informing both mechanistic insight and translational strategies for therapy development.
Scientific focus and research goals
The primary aim is to identify the molecular and cellular changes that occur at the very start of disease processes. Researchers concentrate on events inside vulnerable cell types—how proteins behave, how genes are regulated, and how cellular networks begin to fail. Emphasis is placed on the earliest detectable shifts rather than later-stage damage, so that interventions can be designed to prevent progression. The Centre’s mission is to move from discovery to tangible benefit for patients by converting mechanistic findings into candidates for diagnosis and therapeutic testing.
Research methods and technological platforms
The UK DRI at King’s combines several advanced methodologies to recreate and probe disease biology. These include stem cell-derived models, engineered cellular environments, high-resolution imaging and systems-level computational analysis. Together, these tools allow scientists to study disease mechanisms across scales—from single molecules to interacting cellular communities—creating a comprehensive picture of early pathogenesis in ALS and FTD.
Cellular models and microfabrication
Teams generate both 2D and 3D stem cell-derived models to mimic affected brain and motor neuron ecosystems. These models use induced pluripotent stem cells to create human cell types relevant to disease, enabling manipulation of specific genes and pathways. The Centre also employs microfabrication facilities to build controlled microenvironments that replicate physical and chemical cues of native tissue. These engineered platforms let researchers observe how cell shape, connectivity and microenvironments influence vulnerability and progression in a controlled, reproducible setting.
Advanced imaging and computational biology
High-end imaging is central to the Centre’s discovery pipeline. The Wohl Cellular Imaging Centre (WCIC), housed within the institute, supports researchers with cutting-edge microscopy and is the UK’s only Nikon Centre of Excellence in Advanced Neuroscience Imaging. These tools enable visualization of processes inside neurons at near-molecular resolution. Complementing imaging, systems and computational biology approaches integrate large datasets to detect patterns and predict critical nodes in disease networks, turning complex observations into testable hypotheses.
People, collaboration and impact
The Centre brings together interdisciplinary teams led by investigators such as Centre Director Jernej Ule, Group Leader Sarah Marzi, and Centre Manager Tanisha Lewis, among others. Staff work across wet lab, engineering and computational groups to ensure discoveries can move rapidly toward translation. By studying both ALS and FTD side by side, the Centre strengthens collaborative opportunities and increases the likelihood of identifying shared therapeutic targets that could benefit a broad patient population.
Located at the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute (5 Cutcombe Road, London, SE5 9RX), the UK DRI at King’s invites partnerships with clinicians, industry and patient communities to accelerate impact. The combined use of patient-derived stem cells, microfabricated microenvironments and the WCIC’s imaging capabilities positions the Centre to turn molecular insight into better diagnostics and treatment strategies that improve the lives of people affected by motor neuron disease and frontotemporal dementia.
