MJFF announces $10 million competition for Parkinson’s

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Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 26 September 2019

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alpha-synuclein Parkinson's MJFF competition

The Michael J Fox Foundation has launched the ‘Ken Griffin Alpha-synuclein Imaging Competition’ – a US $10 million programme aiming to develop a game-changing tool for Parkinson’s research.

As part of the competition, participating teams will compete in a scientific race to build a device that is able to identify alpha-synuclein – a protein closely associated with Parkinson’s. Although almost everyone diagnosed with Parkinson’s has clumps of alpha-synuclein in the brain, these are currently only visible when analysing tissue during autopsies.

The competition is named after Ken Griffin, CEO of US investment firm Citadel who has given US $7.5 million funding to the programme.

Griffin – whose father has Parkinson’s – said: “If we have the imaging capability to observe the pathology that arises from protein-misfolding in real time, and understand how drugs are impacting people in real time, that would be a major advance.”

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MJFF announces $10 million competition for Parkinson’s

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 26 September 2019

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Tributes paid to “inspirational” Tom Isaacs

Global update

John Stapleton: “More Parkinson’s research is needed, full stop”

Interviews

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New study brings scientists a “vital step” closer to understanding Parkinson’s disease

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MJFF announces $10 million competition for Parkinson’s

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 26 September 2019

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Perspectives

Tributes paid to “inspirational” Tom Isaacs

Global update

John Stapleton: “More Parkinson’s research is needed, full stop”

Interviews

“My next adventure is to concentrate on living”

New biotech to drive forward GDNF treatment for Parkinson’s disease

New wearable medical device for Parkinson’s disease to launch this year

New study brings scientists a “vital step” closer to understanding Parkinson’s disease

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