Biology
Biomarkers
Therapies
2017 Annual Report
Biology
Characterization of disease is the backbone of all research progress .
MJFF funds basic and translational science to identify and characterize disease biology , vital to measure Parkinson ’ s onset / progression or target the disease with new treatments . Exploring cellular functions , defining protein structures , and studying pathological mechanisms in the presence of genetic mutations tee up field-wide advances in therapeutic experimentation and optimization . The Foundation pumps tens of millions of dollars a year into this critical work .
Biomarkers
Objective disease measures speed drug development .
MJFF leads a landmark public-private partnership , among other efforts , to identify and validate candidates for Parkinson ’ s biomarkers ( objective indicators of disease such as blood sugar and diabetes ) and develop tests to measure Parkinson ’ s pathology and symptoms . Toward these goals , researchers are looking at biological factors such as protein levels in addition to phenotypic measures including , for example , eye movement and activity levels ( via wearable devices ). Objective disease tests would speed drug development by identifying people most likely to respond to treatment , tracking disease progression and assessing therapeutic impact .
Therapies
Transforming early-stage ideas into therapies requires strategy .
The Foundation ’ s donor-raised capital behaves differently from that of commercial or government research funders in that tangible patient benefit is the only ROI we seek . This frees , indeed obligates , us to seek out and “ derisk ” pre-clinical therapeutic studies by helping assemble the data required to attract bigger funders who can advance these projects through more expensive later stages of testing . In addition , MJFF funds trials of repurposed drugs approved for other conditions but that have shown evidence in treating Parkinson ’ s disease .
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