The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) has awarded a grant to Academy Professor Mart Saarma, PhD, and his team at the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki. The funding will be used in conjunction with HermoPharma Company for the therapeutic development of the neurotrophic factor cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF) as a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD).
Saarma's major breakthrough in this field was the discovery of CDNF, and he has performed subsequent demonstrations that it has potential to both protect and repair injured neurons in pre-clinical models of PD. MJFF has been funding Saarma's team to investigate CDNF since 2006, including a $500,000 award in 2010 to study the therapeutic potential of CDNF in pre-clinical models of PD. The newly-awarded grant will be used to further complete these studies.
PD is a disorder of the central nervous system that results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Neurotrophic factors are are proteins that promote the survival, growth and function of neurons in the brain, and therefore, are of major interest to PD researchers.
Saarma's team and a team headed by Professor Raimo K. Tuominen, MD, PhD, of the Faculty of Pharmacy, have in the past compared the neuroprotective and neurorestorative properties of CDNF with those of other neurotrophic factors like glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, or GDNF. The results were promising in terms of developing CDNF as a novel treatment for PD.
Future pre-clinical studies on the efficacy of CDNF on PD are being carried out in collaboration with Judy L. Cameron, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh and with Zhiming Zhang, MD, of the University of Kentucky.
For further information, please contact:
Professor Mart Saarma
Tel. 358 50 500 2726
mart.saarma@helsinki.fi
Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at the Institute of Biotechnology: http://www.biocenter.helsinki.fi/bi/
ABOUT MJFF
As the world's largest private funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $264 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. Now through December 31, 2012, all new and increased giving to The Michael J. Fox Foundation, as well as gifts from donors who have not given since 2009 or earlier, will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis with the $50-million Brin Wojcicki Challenge, launched by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki.
For more information, visit: www.michaeljfox.org; www.facebook.com/michaeljfoxfoundation