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

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 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’