biomarker tests within the next two to three years, just when many Parkinson’ s therapies in the pipeline could reach the Phase III testing stage.
QBio already is making an impact, funding the development of tests that will require a simple blood draw, making PD detection as accessible as cholesterol testing during a regular doctor’ s visit, and that measure the amount of alpha-synuclein present in spinal fluid, making it possible to track changes in the disease, something the current test can’ t do.
Imaging exams— like PET scans or MRI— that measure alphasynuclein changes in the brain also have taken big steps forward this year. In tandem, we continue to fund a variety of research efforts to identify biomarkers beyond alphasynuclein. One of these tests seeks to measure PD-linked inflammation and cell-level malfunctioning, such as in the mitochondria( the cell’ s batteries) and lysosomes( the cell’ s recycling centers).
Mark Frasier, PhD, leads MJFF ' s diverse biomarker portfolio, including the QBio initiative to develop biomarkers capable of objectively measuring PD progression.
One day, tests like these may enable doctors to assess and treat a variety of factors involved in the Parkinson’ s disease process, similar to how doctors currently use a range of biomarker tests for heart disease— such as cholesterol, inflammation, blood pressure, electrical activity— to personalize treatment.
With nearly $ 100 million committed to QBio to date by two leadership funders, MJFF-led biomarker development is advancing quickly. The Foundation now is working to attract additional investment to this area to further accelerate biomarkers so they are ready for use in PD clinical trials.
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