Alpha-synuclein Seed Amplification Assay Program

Aim

This program supports research that will facilitate integration of alpha-synuclein seed amplification assays into clinical studies for the purposes of predicting prognosis, tracking disease progression and monitoring therapeutic response. Given the role of alpha-synuclein (a-syn) in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's, it holds importance as a therapeutic target (with more than a dozen a-syn-focused drug programs in trials) and as a biomarker candidate for the disease. 

Recent cerebral spinal fluid a-syn seed amplification assays (SAAs) have demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity to identify PD study participants. But optimization and more studies are warranted.

Funding Details

• Duration: Up to 3 years
• Award Amount: MJFF plans to allocate at least $3M to these efforts
• Projects of all sizes encouraged
• Budget will not correlate with funding prioritization

• 13 September 2021

• Applications may be submitted by researchers or clinicians in or outside the United States in:
  • Biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies, or other publicly or privately held for-profit entities
  • Public and private non-profit entities, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of state and local governments and eligible agencies of the federal government
• Post-doctoral fellows are not eligible to apply.
• As projects may require many kinds of expertise, MJFF encourages industry, academic, clinical and/or non-profit collaborations when appropriate.
• Applicants proposing prospective recruitment of participants should do so in partnership with clinical centers and/or sites that are equipped to collaborate on such collections.

• Download the RFA overview and application template
• Log in or create account in the grant application portal 
• Submit your completed application