The Open Network for Frontotemporal dementia Inflammation REsearch (ON-FIRE) has begun actively recruiting participants, with the first five patient volunteers having been enrolled at the central site in Cambridge before the end of 2024.
This marks an important milestone for the national study investigating blood-based markers of inflammation in Frontotemporal dementia, following months of preparatory and optimisation work, discussions across collaborators, and setting up the infrastructure to deliver this first study of its kind.
The team at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, led by Dr Maura Malpetti, is now conducting site initiation visits across the UK to prepare other centres for recruitment. These visits are essential to establish the network of research sites that will help make the study accessible to people from diverse communities and locations across the country.
ON-FIRE aims to develop better blood tests for measuring brain inflammation in Frontotemporal dementia, working with both specialist and non-specialist clinics. This approach will help ensure that research participation is possible for people who might otherwise find it difficult to access research settings and opportunities.
The study is part of the Neuroimmunology theme of Dementias Platform UK and maintains a strong focus on collaboration and data sharing. By working with sites across the UK, ON-FIRE seeks to accelerate the development of new treatments targeting inflammation in Frontotemporal dementia.
The teams across all 20+ centres are excited to start recruitment and data collection, and the whole team is grateful for the generous support of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Kissick Family Foundation, Race Against Dementia and philanthropic supporters, who made ON-FIRE possible.
We will keep providing updates throughout the duration of the study – so, stay tuned!