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Prof. Cryan leads €4.8 million collaboration on autism research

27 Aug 2015

A â‚¬4.8 million 4-year project led by Prof. John Cryan and Prof Ted Dinan (Psychiatry) and in which Dr. Harriet Schellekens is also playing a key role, has recently been announced with , a UK-based pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of live biotherapeutics,  for Autism Spectrum Disorder and associated CNS Disorders ('ASD'). 

A â‚¬4.8 million 4-year project led by Prof. John Cryan and Prof Ted Dinan (Psychiatry) and in which Dr. Harriet Schellekens is also playing a key role, has recently been announced with , a UK-based pharmaceutical company focusing on the development of live biotherapeutics,  for Autism Spectrum Disorder and associated CNS Disorders ('ASD'). The programme, which will create and support several hi-tech jobs in Cork, will focus on strains identified as potentially therapeutically relevant by the Company's proprietary MicroRx platform.

The prevalence of ASD is estimated to be around 1 in 70 children with reported cases steadily increasing since the 1960's attributed to improved societal awareness and diagnosis. Although the genetic basis of a minority of cases is known, the disease pathways and mechanisms are poorly understood, presenting a significant challenge to drug discovery.