The ice bucket challenge has led to a major ALS breakthrough

Remember the ice bucket challenge of 2014? Well, it's led to a major breakthrough in motor neuron disease research.

The Ellen Show / Instagram

The viral campaign involved high-profile names, including Kim Kardashian, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Damon and Victoria Beckham, allowing themselves to be covered in an icy bucket of water to raise money for motor neurone disease. In a month, the challenge raised more than $115m (£88m).

Now, with the money raised from the campaign, scientists have discovered a gene variant associated with the disease that will help experts further understand the illness and why it takes hold. And once the causes are known, the chances of finding treatments will increase.

While the ice bucket challenge generated the most amount of money, the campaign also prompted lots of independent, smaller fund-raisers which all helped contribute to current research.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is back for 2015, with Motor Neurone Disease Association supporter Eddie Redmayne kicking things off with a video challenge in London.

Watch Eddie get soaked below:

To support Eddie and donate, visit http://www.bit.do/IBC15. If you're in the UK, text ICED55 £5 to 70070.

If you are loving the #IceBucketChallenge posts as much as we are, please donate to @mndassoc. Text ICED55 £5 to 70070 to donate £5.

Everyone from the Beckhams, Cara Delevingne and Taylor Swift, Rita Ora, Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga, Chris Pratt, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have been dumping freezing buckets of water over their heads, either in the privacy of their back garden or in full view of passers by on the street.

The Ellen Show / Instagram

We saw Courteney Cox, Kate Moss and Jennifer Aniston complete their ice bucket challenges. Leonardo DiCaprio accepted his challenge from David Beckham and donated a whopping $100,000 dollars to the charity. He then goes on to challenge Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

More recently, Kim Kardashian was drenched with ice water during a recent appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. The 33-year-old reality star took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in a teaser clip of the episode, which will air next week.

Kim Kardashian

Kendall Jenner

Tom Ford

Fashion designer Tom Ford has accepted Victoria Beckham's challenge, and enlisted the help of his husband Richard Buckley to help him.

Nominates Ashton Kutcher!

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, we LOVE you for doing the Ice Bucket Challenge, and for all the Dolly chat you gave before getting drenched by your nieces.

Donatella Versace

Donatella Versace enlisted the help of two male models for her Ice Bucket Challenge - you've got to see it!

Matt Damon

Matt Damon has done the Ice Bucket Challenge, and has dumped a bucket of toilet water over his head, "not only because there's a drought here in California but because I co-founded Water.org and we envision a day when everybody has access to a clean drink of water - and there are about 800 million people in the world who don't - so dumping a clean bucket of water on my head seemed a little crazy."

Homer Simpson

Courteney Cox

Leonardo DiCaprio

Click here to watch him donate £100,000 and get soaked.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Kate Moss

Jennifer Aniston

Victoria Beckham

Cruz Beckham

Ant 'n' Dec

Glamour's Jo Elvin

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Foo Fighters

Daisy Lowe (sans bra)

Kristen Stewart & Nicholas Hoult

Robert Pattinson

Robert Pattinson was the latest to take on the challenge, but seeing as he doesn't really "do" social media, his buddy Zac Efron (who nominated him) posted the video for us all to see. [#video:https://youtube.com/embed/G3y6dJr2hYA]

With no bucket to hand, R-Patz's buddies made do with a hose and some ice cubes - he then nominated Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska and Marilyn Manson to take on the challenge.

Jamie Dornan and Eddie Redmayne

Thank you, boys. Thank you.

Russell Brand

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum held his wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum close as they embraced the bucket of icy water...

Kermit

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Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow was challenged by her fitness guru friend Tracey Anderson - and nominated Cameron Diaz, her ex-husband Chris Martin and designer Stella McCartney.

Anna Wintour

Vogue's Anna Wintour let down her ice queen exterior and got her famously immaculate bob soaked:

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Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere confirmed her pregnancy during the ice bucket challenge - nominating her "unborn child" to take the challenge (bit harsh on a newborn, but hey).

"I accept my ALS Challenge", Hayden said. "I renominate Kacey Musgraves - you're not getting out of this, Wladimir Klitschko [her fiance], and my unborn child."

Dancing with the Stars celeb Derek Hough posted the video on to his Instagram.

Hugh Jackman, Rooney Mara, Garrett Hedlundand the whole cast of Pan

In return they've nominated Tom Cruise and the cast of Mission: Impossible 5, the entire staff of WME, Oscar Isaac and the whole cast and crew of Star Wars: Episode VII.

David Beckham

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Brooklyn Beckham

Emily Blunt

Jourdan Dunn

Vin Diesel

Tom Hiddleston

James Franco

Sadly we've got no idea what that sign says.

Simon Cowell

Georgia May Jagger

Britney Spears

Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck

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Suki Waterhouse

Nicole Richie, Gavin Rossdale, Jessica Alba, Zuma Rossdale

Lady Gaga

In classic Gaga get-up, of course.

Kate Upton

Jennifer Lopez

Cara Delevingne

Iggy Azalea

Nina Dobrev

(This one's an icy one)

Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard

Kylie Jenner

Yup, that's Kris Jenner soaking her.

Chris Brown

Drake

Lena Dunham

Lily Collins

Taylor Swift and Jamie King

Chris Pratt

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Justin Bieber

This is Biebs' second attempt, after complaints he got far from drenched in the first, for which he nominated his "main man Barack Obama".

Cristiano Ronaldo

Justin Timberlake

Selena Gomez

Bill Gates

So what exactly is the challenge in aid of and should we be accepting a nomination too? The craze first kicked off in the US with the aim of raising money for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association. The condition, which can be fatal and affects around 5,000 people in the UK, is better known here as Motor Neurone Disease.

The challenge started after former Boston College basketball player Pete Frates, who was tipped for the big time, had his career cut short by ALS. He then nominated fellow Boston College players and members of the Boston Red Sox to partake in the icy challenge.

The trend has spiralled, as each person who takes part must then nominate someone else. Those who are nominated must donate to charity and drench themselves, or if they fail to accept within 24 hours, are asked to donate a larger sum instead.

To find out more about the challenge and how to donate to the Motor Neurone Disease Assocation, head to its website here.