6 Fox Focus | Research
New Program Fast-Tracks Biomarkers for Disease Progression
By Jen Fisher Wilson
Refining the New Biomarker for Better Clinical Trials
Research to quantify the amount of misfolded alphasynuclein in a spinal fluid sample
Research to run biomarker test in samples more easily obtained : blood , skin
The new MJFF-funded biomarker for Parkinson ’ s , the alpha-synuclein seeding amplification assay ( aSyn-SAA ), allows researchers to detect in spinal fluid the misfolded alpha-synuclein protein that is a hallmark of the disease .
While aSyn-SAA can tell researchers whether PD pathology is , or is not , present in the body even years before symptoms become visible — something that was previously impossible in living people — it doesn ’ t provide other important information about PD , such as its severity or progression .
Tools that can provide such information , collectively referred to as quantitative biomarkers , are essential to clinical trials because they objectively reveal whether new therapies effectively slow or stop PD . Similar tools played a key role in the recent approval of two drugs to slow the progression of Alzheimer ’ s disease .
To accelerate development of these quantitative biomarkers , MJFF has launched the Quantitative Bio ( qBIO ) Program . The new
Better , more precise trials = more personalized treatments
program funds the most promising research to optimize biomarkers and make them quantitative .
The first five research teams received a combined total of $ 9.75 million to advance their biomarker work . Three of the teams are focused on developing reliable , lab-based tests to measure the amount of misfolded alpha-synuclein in biosamples , including skin and blood , and two are focused on developing imaging tools to detect atypical activity in the brain , such as clumps of alpha-synuclein or inflammation , using positron emission tomography ( PET ) imaging technology .
All of the projects receiving funding hold potential to deliver clinical trial-ready quantitative biomarker tests within the next two to three years , just when many of the therapies in the pipeline could reach the Phase III testing stage . MJFF anticipates funding additional teams through the qBIO Program in 2024 .