NysnoBio Awarded Michael J. Fox Foundation Grant for First Clinical Study
San Francisco | May 5, 2022 – NysnoBio announces funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) for the study Neural Network Imaging Analysis in Parkin-PD Patients. Drs. Jennifer Johnston (Nysnobio), David Eidelberg, and Genko Oyama, will combine their talents and expertise on this new, peer-reviewed clinical study, which will use established neural network imaging analysis to define neural network patterns in a specific genetic population of Parkinson’s disease (PD): patients carrying mutations in the Parkin gene, the most common form of autosomal recessive PD.
This new research will take place across two phases in 2022 and 2023:
- Phase 1 will enroll Parkin-PD patients and obtain clinical imaging data.
- Phase 2 will apply neural network analysis AI algorithms to the data sets from Phase 1.
The combined outcome from Phases 1 and 2 is critical not just for this study, but for the broader community of PD researchers. In addition to establishing neural network patterns in Parkin-PD, this project will determine the extent to which Parkin-based PD is similar to, or distinct from, idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (iPD). Overlap in iPD patterns and Parkin-PD-diseased neuron patterns may define useful biomarker tools to follow disease progression and identify therapeutic interventions that change the progression of the disease for a broad population.
Potential Impacts for PD Diagnosis and Treatment
Parkin-PD is the most potent known genetic form of PD, with almost 100% penetrance. Clinically translatable biomarker endpoints would allow the assessment of Parkin-based therapies in human clinical trials.
If successful, the biomarker assays developed in this project will transform the field of PD from diagnosis to clinical trials, and ultimately to approved patient therapy. Revealing how genetic forms overlap with iPD may point to the potential for wider application of therapies, targeting Parkin and other pathways.
Says NysnoBio Founder and CEO, Jennifer A. Johnston, PhD:
“These studies will help fill critical gaps in understanding the specific pathology of Parkin-PD mutations causing Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease, and the extent to which Parkin gene replacement can affect the course of the disease.
Over the last 20 years, the NysnoBio team has pioneered the basic biochemistry and therapeutic potential for the Parkin gene. We already know that Parkin is effective for neuroprotection and brain health. The studies funded here by The Michael J. Fox Foundation will address a critical gap in bringing therapies to market: clinical imaging endpoints that can be used to follow disease progression."
Says MJFF Senior Vice President of Research Resources, Dr. Jamie Eberling:
“Biomarkers are critical drug development tools, and this project builds toward imaging capabilities to advance therapies against the priority Parkin pathway. NysnoBio is a leader in this area, and this grant builds on our longstanding support of the company as a pioneer in Parkin study and drug development toward new treatments that will slow or stop disease.”
Contact NysnoBio to get involved or learn more:
info@nysnobio.com
