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The Michael J. Fox Foundation believes that a major hurdle in the development of promising treatments for Parkinson's disease is the need for well-validated targets linked to the disease process. By promoting critical target validation studies within academic and industry laboratories, MJFF investments can help de-risk subsequent drug development and ultimately accelerate the creation of innovative therapies for Parkinson's patients. Part of our Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research, the Target Advancement program seeks to build robust evidence to rationalize biological pathways and targets for further translation into new Parkinson's treatments.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation believes that a major hurdle in the development of promising treatments for Parkinson's disease is the need for well-validated targets linked to the disease process. By promoting critical target validation studies within academic and industry laboratories, MJFF investments can help de-risk subsequent drug development and ultimately accelerate the creation of innovative therapies for Parkinson's patients. Part of our Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research, the Target Advancement program seeks to build robust evidence to rationalize biological pathways and targets for further translation into new Parkinson's treatments.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Parkinson's Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP), The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) Parkinson's Disease cohorts and biosample collections, the NINDS-sponsored National Brain and Tissue Resource for Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders at the Banner Sun Health Research Institute and the Harvard Biomarker Study Biospecimen Repository offer unique biospecimen resources and corresponding clinical data for Parkinson's Disease biomarker discovery, optimization and replication studies. This FOA allows an investigator to apply for access to non-renewable biosamples from one or more of these biosample collections.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation and The Silverstein Foundation for Parkinson's with GBA will award one-to-two-year grants for GBA research to advance understanding of GBA biology and accelerate therapeutic approaches. This program seeks proposals for research studying: * How GBA mutations lead to PD * Mechanisms underlying GCase dysfunction in the absence of GBA mutations * Novel therapeutic interventions to prevent pathogenic mechanisms triggered by GCase-pathway dysfunction Mutations in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene are one of the most common risk factors for Parkinson's disease. GBA encodes a lysosomal enzyme, beta-glucocerebrosidase (GCase). Reduced GCase activity is associated with GBA mutations and has been reported in idiopathic PD, suggesting a more general role for GCase pathway dysfunction in Parkinson's. The exact cellular mechanism by which GCase deficits contribute to the pathogenesis of PD remains unclear, warranting further investigation. Pre-proposal due May 31.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support hypothesis-driven research to discover human biomarkers in Parkinsons disease and other Parkinsonian syndromes, as a component of the NINDS Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP). This FOA encourages biomarkers discovery projects in 1) genetically causal Parkinson's disease, especially for particular sub-types of Parkinson's Disease (PD), including genetic cohorts, biologically defined cohorts of idiopathic PD, or ethnic subgroups of idiopathic PD; 2) The differentiation of synucleinopathies (such as PD and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) from tauopathies (such asProgressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal degeneration); or 3) to improve diagnostic differentiation between idiopathic/subtypes of PD and these disorders, as well as from Essential tremor. In order to further advance research in this area, broad sharing of biospecimens and associated data is a critical feature of the PDBP generally and of this FOA specifically.A timeline including milestones, which will be used to evaluate the application not only in peer review but also in consideration of the awarded project for funding of non-competing award years, is required for all studies.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support hypothesis-driven research to discover human biomarkers in Parkinsons disease and other Parkinsonian syndromes, as a component of the NINDS Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP). This FOA encourages biomarkers discovery projects in 1) genetically causal Parkinson's disease, especially for particular sub-types of Parkinson's Disease (PD), including genetic cohorts, biologically defined cohorts of idiopathic PD, or ethnic subgroups of idiopathic PD; 2) The differentiation of synucleinopathies (such as PD and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) from tauopathies (such asProgressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal degeneration); or 3) to improve diagnostic differentiation between idiopathic/subtypes of PD and these disorders, as well as from Essential tremor. In order to further advance research in this area, broad sharing of biospecimens and associated data is a critical feature of the PDBP generally and of this FOA specifically.A timeline including milestones, which will be used to evaluate the application not only in peer review but also in consideration of the awarded project for funding of non-competing award years, is required for all studies.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation seeks applications with potential for fundamentally altering disease course and/or significantly improving treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care. Proposals must have a well-defined plan for moving toward clinical utility for Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The Therapeutic Pipeline Program is open to industry and academic investigators proposing novel approaches or repositioning approved or clinically safe therapies from non-PD indications. Part of our Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research, the Therapeutic Pipeline Program advances Parkinson's disease therapeutic and intervention development along the pre-clinical and clinical path (i.e., both drug and non-pharmacological therapeutics, including gene therapy, biological, surgical and non-invasive approaches).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) requests Exploratory Grant (P20) applications for the planning and initiation of collaborative activities to advance Parkinson's Disease (PD) research. The goal of this FOA is to convene new transdisciplinary research consortia and formalize the multi-institutional organizational and investigational structure necessary to resolve an essential challenge in Parkinson's disease (PD) through a subsequent NINDS Udall Center without Walls (CWOW) approach. The most compelling applications will: (i) identify a fundamental PD research priority; (ii) build an exemplary research consortium; (iii) gather supportive preliminary data; and (iv) demonstrate exceptional potential to pursue a targeted strategy to remove a critical impediment blocking advancement of the understanding and treatment of PD.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) requests Exploratory Grant (P20) applications for the planning and initiation of collaborative activities to advance Parkinson's Disease (PD) research. The goal of this FOA is to convene new transdisciplinary research consortia and formalize the multi-institutional organizational and investigational structure necessary to resolve an essential challenge in Parkinson's disease (PD) through a subsequent NINDS Udall Center without Walls (CWOW) approach. The most compelling applications will: (i) identify a fundamental PD research priority; (ii) build an exemplary research consortium; (iii) gather supportive preliminary data; and (iv) demonstrate exceptional potential to pursue a targeted strategy to remove a critical impediment blocking advancement of the understanding and treatment of PD. The stated challenge and related research feasibility projects will inform the etiology, pathogenesis or treatment of PD; investigations on related synucleinopathies may be included if such studies directly address the central PD research challenge. To foster the development of innovative research collaborations, this FOA will provide support for new research consortia only; continuation of established projects and teams will not be supported. Proposed consortia must include the optimal combination of specialized expertise required to resolve the stated challenge using a goal-driven approach. The Program Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) must be eminently qualified to provide visionary scientific leadership and effective oversight of consortium administrative activities. Participating investigators should be recognized as world-class experts in their fields. Teams must be anchored by at least one PD researcher. To maximize potential for new insights and incorporation of cutting-edge approaches, consortia will actively integrate at least one investigator with primary expertise in another, complementary research area.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support hypothesis-driven research to discover human biomarkers in Parkinsons disease and other Parkinsonian syndromes, as a component of the NINDS Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP). This FOA encourages biomarkers discovery projects in 1) genetically causal Parkinson's disease, especially for particular sub-types of Parkinson's Disease (PD), including genetic cohorts, biologically defined cohorts of idiopathic PD, or ethnic subgroups of idiopathic PD; 2) The differentiation of synucleinopathies (such as PD and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) from tauopathies (such as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal degeneration); or 3) to improve diagnostic differentiation between idiopathic/subtypes of PD and these disorders, as well as from Essential tremor. In order to further advance research in this area, broad sharing of biospecimens and associated data is a critical feature of the PDBP generally and of this FOA specifically. A timeline including milestones, which will be used to evaluate the application not only in peer review but also in consideration of the awarded project for funding of non-competing award years, is required for all studies.

The Parkinson's Disease Digital Biomarker DREAM Challenge is a first of its kind challenge, designed to benchmark methods for the processing of sensor data for development of digital signatures reflective of Parkinson's Disease. Participants will be provided with raw sensor (accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer) time series data recorded during the performance of pre-specified motor tasks, and will be asked to extract data features which are predictive of PD pathology. In contrast to traditional DREAM challenges, this one will focus on feature extraction rather than predictive modeling, and submissions will be evaluated based on their ability to predict disease phenotype using an array of standard machine learning algorithms.

The PDF Student Travel Award enables eligible students working in Parkinson's disease research to attend and present data at relevant scientific conferences. Awards are available up to $1,000 and can be used to pay for conference registration, transportation and hotel. Applicants must justify the amount requested based on the projected cost of the above expenses. After the conference, students will be asked to submit reports regarding the conference and receipts for the expenses justified in the application.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to 1) expand the collection of clinical data and biological specimens in the NINDS Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP), a community research resource, to include data from patients with Lewy Body Dementias (including Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson's Disease with Dementia), and 2) to support hypothesis-driven clinical research to discover biomarkers that will improve the efficiency and outcome of Phase II clinical trials for the Lewy Body dementias and to provide an expansion of this existing research resource center for dissemination of information and access by the scientific community for further advancing research in this field. Applications may include both of these goals if justified.

The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to 1) expand the collection of clinical data and biological specimens in the NINDS Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP), a community research resource, to include data from patients with Lewy Body Dementias (including Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson's Disease with Dementia), and 2) to support hypothesis-driven clinical research to discover biomarkers that will improve the efficiency and outcome of Phase II clinical trials for the Lewy Body dementias and to provide an expansion of this existing research resource center for dissemination of information and access by the scientific community for further advancing research in this field. Applications may include both of these goals if justified.

The purpose of the FOA is to support unbiased proteomics analysis of matched longitudinal CSF and plasma samples from Accelerating Medicine Partnership in Parkinson's disease (AMP PD) cohorts using a data independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry platform, with the ultimate goal of identifying PD biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and progression. Proteomics data generated through this initiative will be broadly shared with the research community through the AMP PD Knowledge Portal to enable additional analyses and data integration across the various datatypes available through AMP PD. A staged approach will be used to first identify and address pre-analytical variables and then incorporate that information into the optimal design for the analysis of 4500 CSF and plasma samples.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation will award one-to-two-year grants to test non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of gait and balance disturbances in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). We are particularly interested in proof-of-concept, validation and data-analysis projects. This program seeks proposals for research studying the therapeutic benefit of: Assistive devices (e.g., back or leg braces). Novel technologies (e.g., laser or wearable devices). Rehabilitative therapy programs (e.g., occupational or physical therapy)

In recent years, somatic cells as therapeutic agents have provided new treatment approaches for a number of pathological conditions that were deemed untreatable, or difficult to treat. Several successful cell therapies using T cells have been demonstrated for cancer and autoimmune diseases, while stem cell therapies have given relief for heart disease and stroke. Hundreds of clinical trials are ongoing to examine efficacy of cell therapies for a variety of other diseases including diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Crohn's disease. Production of therapeutic cells is currently expensive and, therefore, cost prohibitive for the large number of people who might benefit from these treatments. The overarching goal of this Advanced Biomanufacturing of Therapeutic Cells (ABTC) solicitation is to catalyze well-integrated interdisciplinary research to understand, design, and control cell manufacturing systems and processes that will enable reproducible, cost-effective, and high-quality production of cells with predictable performance for the identified therapeutic function.

In recent years, somatic cells as therapeutic agents have provided new treatment approaches for a number of pathological conditions that were deemed untreatable, or difficult to treat. Several successful cell therapies using T cells have been demonstrated for cancer and autoimmune diseases, while stem cell therapies have given relief for heart disease and stroke. Hundreds of clinical trials are ongoing to examine efficacy of cell therapies for a variety of other diseases including diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Crohn's disease. Production of therapeutic cells is currently expensive and, therefore, cost prohibitive for the large number of people who might benefit from these treatments. The overarching goal of this Advanced Biomanufacturing of Therapeutic Cells (ABTC) solicitation is to catalyze well-integrated interdisciplinary research to understand, design, and control cell manufacturing systems and processes that will enable reproducible, cost-effective, and high-quality production of cells with predictable performance for the identified therapeutic function.

The Parkinson's Foundation is inviting applications from new investigators for its PDF-PSG Mentored Clinical Research Award. One $50,000 grant will be awarded for a one-year project in patient-oriented research in Parkinson's disease or other Parkinsonian disorders under the mentorship of an experienced investigator. The goal of the award is to provide funding for an investigator who has the potential to become an independent researcher. To be eligible, applicants should be clinicians and scientists who are within five years of having completed formal training. Fellows may apply.

The purpose of this FOA is to stimulate research on the role of environmental exposure in neurodegenerative disease (ND) by developing feasibility data for new concepts or by adapting new technologies, tools and methods of use for studies in neurodegenerative diseases. The emphasis for this FOA would be especially focused on Alzheimers (AD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's (PD) to stimulate advancement of neurodegenerative research by better establishing the importance of environmental exposure in disease causation in accordance with the goals of the new strategic plan.

The Fiscal Year 2015 Department of Defense Appropriations Act provides research funding for the following peer reviewed programs managed by the Department of Defense office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP): Alcohol and Substance Abuse Research Program - $4.0 million Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research Program - $7.5 million Autism Research Program - $6.0 million Bone Marrow Failure Research Program - $3.2 million Breast Cancer Research Program - $120.0 million Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Research Program - $3.2 million Epilepsy Research Program - $7.5 million Gulf War Illness Research Program - $20.0 million Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program - $50.0 million Lung Cancer Research Program - $10.5 million Military Burn Research Program - $8.0 million Multiple Sclerosis Research Program - $5.0 million Neurofibromatosis Research Program - $15.0 million Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Parkinson's Research Program - $16.0 million Orthotics and Prosthetics Outcomes - $10.0 million Ovarian Cancer Research Program - $20.0 million Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's Research Program - $12.0 million Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program - $50.0 million Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program - $247.5 million Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program - $30.0 million Prostate Cancer Research Program - $80.0 million Spinal Cord Injury Research Program - $30.0 million Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program - $6.0 million Vision Research Program - $10.0 million

Multiple groups using a variety of analytical techniques have reported the presence of different species of aSyn in biofluids such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), saliva, and tears. Results suggest that aSyn levels may be different in Parkinson's disease compared to healthy controls. Thus, aSyn quantification in accessible body fluids may serve as a biomarker of disease diagnosis, target engagement, pharmacodynamic response, or patient stratification. At the same time, analysis of total aSyn in CSF collected in the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study did not change significantly over the course of a year, indicating that total aSyn may not be a progression marker of PD. One of the hallmarks of PD is aSyn aggregation, and therefore oligomeric aSyn may represent a more pathologically relevant disease species to serve as a biomarker.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for the Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research program. The overarching goal of the specialized Udall Centers program is to establish a network of Centers that work collaboratively as well as independently to define the causes of and discover improved treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD). A more immediate goal for each Center is to rapidly advance synergistic, interdisciplinary research programs while serving as national leaders in PD research. Udall Centers also serve as local resources by organizing research career enhancement activities for Center investigators and periodic outreach to the PD patient/advocacy community. Applicants are expected to identify and address an overall research theme that defines a critical challenge in PD research. The stated theme, proposed research projects, and associated cores will inform the etiology, pathogenesis or treatment of PD; investigations on related synucleinopathies may be included if such studies directly address the identified PD research challenge.

The intent of the NETPR Program Career Progression Award is to support independent, early-career investigators who have innovative, high-impact ideas or new technologies applicable to PD research and/or patient care. This award provides an opportunity to obtain the funding and experience necessary for productive career progression at the forefront of research specifically on non-motor aspects of PD. Preliminary data to support the feasibility and rationale of the proposed work are required. Any preliminary data provided should be from the laboratory of the PI or collaborators.