NysnoBio Creates Non-Profit to Develop Patient-Centered Parkinson’s Disease Gene Database
San Francisco | December 22, 2020 – In partnership with Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) and The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), NysnoBio and its non-profit arm NysnoBioMetriX (NBX) are proud to announce the launch of a novel, patient-driven data repository supporting the newly launched ASAP Collaborative Research Network.
The NBX database will initially be built and deployed as part of an $8.8 million ASAP-funded research program into the genetic causes of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This cutting-edge project led by Dr. Deniz Kirik will be composed of four research groups across three continents (Lund University, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, and NBX). Over the next three years, the project will investigate relationships between three known genetic causes of Parkinson’s Disease, and test the hypothesis that distinct PD mutations result in defined disease states at the cellular level.
The potential of this initial $8.8 million research grant led by Dr. Kirik is highly significant in its own right. The Lund / Sydney / Melbourne / NysnoBio team believes their studies of diseased neurons over a 3-year time frame will contribute to ASAP’s goal of advancing Parkinson’s research toward a better understanding of the genetic contributions to disease. The data’s organizational structure and the Artificial Intelligence analytical tools being built now are designed to identify hidden genetic factors in disease onset and progression.
As a fundamental component of the grant, NysnoBioMetriX is structuring the database with a plan to launch an open data-sharing platform far beyond this initial research and audience in pursuit of ASAP’s collaborative research goals.
“As the relationships between these three important genetic PD causes come to light, the underlying datasets and analytical tools may prove a powerful research tool and treatment resource for years to come. Much as the canSAR/TGCA databases have transformed oncology research, our work may have similar transformative potential for Parkinson’s Disease” says NysnoBioMetriX founder and NysnoBio CEO, Dr. Jennifer Johnston.
“Ultimately, the vision for ASAP is to focus on the underlying biology of PD to elucidate novel pathways that will fuel the development of rational treatments. To be clear, the PD field has made significant strides, owing to the work of those before us, and we must take care to build on their efforts. We believe that a meaningful collaboration among internationally distributed laboratories, supported by substantial and sustained philanthropic resources, can make a difference above and beyond what has already been achieved.”
Dr. Randy Schekman
University of California, Berkeley
2013 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
Scientific Director, Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s
With this long-term view, the NBX database aspires to serve as a collaborative tool, aligning the accomplishments of decades of researchers with the efforts of new generations of scientists, and providing a platform for the application of next-generation computational and analytic tools as they are developed in the coming years.
As one part of a broader round of $161 million in grants from ASAP and MJFF in 2020, the NBX database and Kirik-led research team will contribute to the broader PD community’s work to calibrate basic research toward a fundamental understanding of the spectrum of ways the disease can originate and progress. If successful, Dr. Johnston and the NBX team aims to provide:
A resource where human iPSCs, their complete genetic information, and their relationships to each other, can be collated in one place;
A baseline data repository for researchers’ comparison and analysis of the distinct cell lines in future work; and
World-class data analytics, patient-level insight, and collaborative power to ASAP’s Global Parkinson's Research Network.
According to Dr. Johnston, “Akin to the contributions of the canSAR/TGCA database to oncological science, we hope the emergence of a database specifically focused on genetic backgrounds of Parkinson’s patient derived cells will allow researchers to speed the progress of new work by comparing findings within and between differing genetic backgrounds of patients across PD research. When canSAR/TGCA transformed oncology from dependence on tissue-of-origin studies to a fundamental understanding of the disease’s molecular footprint, cancer research took a giant leap forward. Is the same possible in Parkinson’s science? There’s a long road ahead to find out, but our teams are working to take this first step together.”
The NBX Approach
The NBX team, led by Dr. Johnston, will expand the database’s capability to integrate research across the full grant portfolio, and create the database framework through which this new intelligence can reach practicing physicians and medical researchers on the front lines of the fight against Parkinson's disease.
An additional facet of the NBX database is the inclusion of qualitative observational patient data in the analysis. Understanding disease progression—and matching new laboratory findings to patients now living with the disease—could prove key to unlocking mysteries in both early and late-onset PD patients.
Further, NBX's core scientific expertise in leveraging the Parkin protein’s potential for cellular repair adds a powerful pathway to apply research findings and offer those suffering from PD hope for a way to not just treat, but to defeat their devastating condition.
Partnership with Data Ductus
Bringing these ideas to life, NBX is partnering with world-leading data analytics, AI and privacy leader Data Ductus of Sweden to build and operate the technology platform. With expertise in multiple industries and deep experience in biotech, Data Ductus will build data management systems that fully protect patient privacy and comply with the highest international regulatory standards, and which are built to continuously improve as participating scientists' and concerned patients' needs evolve over time.
More information on the NBX database and other developments is forthcoming.
Contact NysnoBio for more info:
info@nysnobio.com
