Fox Foundation offers $2m for ‘game-changing’ Parkinson’s breakthrough

PD in Practice

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 7 July 2016

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The Michael J Fox Foundation is offering US$2 million to the first researcher to develop a tracer for alpha-synuclein – the protein that is a strong pathological indicator of Parkinson’s disease.

Imaging of alpha-synuclein could become a useful biomarker of the presence of the disease and possibly even a measure of disease progression.

In a statement issued on its website, the Foundation said: “The ability to image alpha-synuclein deposition in the brain would be a game-changing achievement for the Parkinson’s disease field.

“With this prize, the Foundation seeks to attract research teams and accelerate momentum to speed the development of such a tracer.”

The prize is open to all academic and industry researchers and contestants may already be funded by the MJFF or not. There is no deadline and the $2 million prize will be awarded to the first contestant who submits “compelling evidence of a viable selective tracer and agrees to its widespread use”.

To see the full submission requirements, the judging panel and how to apply, visit the website here

Learn more about alpha-synuclein in this free podcast: ‘Stopping disease progression’

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Could insulin be used to treat Parkinson’s symptoms?

A US study has found that intranasal insulin, which is commonly used to treat diabetes, may be able to improve Parkinson’s symptoms. As part of the study, published in scientific journal ‘PLOS ONE’, 14 people with Parkinson’s were administered a daily dose of intranasal insulin for four weeks. After the four week period, researchers – made up staff from Harvard Medical School, US, and the University of Massachusetts, US – saw an improvement in both the participants motor skills and verbal fluency. Discussing the trial, the researchers said: “Our study provided preliminary data that suggested an improvement of functional skills after four weeks of daily INI [intranasal insulin] treatment. That paves the way toward a larger cohort study to evaluate long-term safety and potential efficacy of intranasal insulin administration for potential treatment and prevention of functional decline in patients with Parkinson disease”.

Can drinking milk increase the risk of Parkinson’s?

Researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden, have found that drinking more than 40 millilitres of milk per day may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s. As part of the study, 81,889 participants between the ages of 45 and 83 who do not live with the condition completed a survey detailing their milk, soured milk and yoghurt consumption. After an average follow up of 14 years, a total of 1,251 participants reported a Parkinson’s diagnosis. The dietary patterns of the participants showed that individuals who drank 40 to 159 millilitres of milk per day were 30% more likely to develop the condition. The researchers – who presented their study at the 2019 International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases in Lisbon, Portugal – concluded: “Findings from this cohort study indicate that consumption of milk, but not soured milk and yogurt, is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.”

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Fox Foundation offers $2m for ‘game-changing’ Parkinson’s breakthrough

PD in Practice

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 7 July 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Who, What, When and Where of Parkinson’s diagnosis: MJFF free webinar

Agenda

June 2017

Perspectives

‘7 Years of Camera Shake’: photographer with Parkinson’s publishes inspiring coffee table book

Acupuncture may alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms

Could insulin be used to treat Parkinson’s symptoms?

Can drinking milk increase the risk of Parkinson’s?

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Fox Foundation offers $2m for ‘game-changing’ Parkinson’s breakthrough

PD in Practice

Author: Parkinson's Life editorsPublished: 7 July 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

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Share this story

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Related articles

Resources & Tools

Who, What, When and Where of Parkinson’s diagnosis: MJFF free webinar

Agenda

June 2017

Perspectives

‘7 Years of Camera Shake’: photographer with Parkinson’s publishes inspiring coffee table book

Acupuncture may alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms

Could insulin be used to treat Parkinson’s symptoms?

Can drinking milk increase the risk of Parkinson’s?

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