Alpha-synuclein Seed Amplification Assay Program
Event details
| Date | 13.09.2021 |
| Category | Call for proposal |
| Event Language | English |
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.
Applicants are encouraged to form teams and submit proposals that address one or more of the following key goals:
Deadline: 13 September 2021
Duration: Up to three years
Funding: MJFF plans to allocate at least $3M to these efforts. Projects of all sizes encouraged. Budget will not correlate with funding prioritization.
Eligibility: Applications may be submitted by researchers or clinicians in or outside the United States in:
Further Information:
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.
Applicants are encouraged to form teams and submit proposals that address one or more of the following key goals:
- Goal 1: Development of a scaled-up, reliable and rapid a-syn SAA as a research-use-only in vitro diagnostic (IVD) with validation package toward an eventual point-of-care IVD integrable into clinical trials with potential for commercial use.
- Goal 2: Modification of a-syn SAAs from the current binary (positive/negative) readouts to an analytically validated quantitative assay format that measures a-syn seed concentrations.
- Goal 3: Identification of the most sensitive, specific, reproducible, stage-appropriate biomatrix through comparative assessment of an a-syn SAA on a variety of biomatrices (e.g., CSF, skin, nasal mucosa, submandibular gland, etc.)
Deadline: 13 September 2021
Duration: Up to three years
Funding: MJFF plans to allocate at least $3M to these efforts. Projects of all sizes encouraged. Budget will not correlate with funding prioritization.
Eligibility: 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.
Further Information:
- Watch a video on this funding program and MJFF's review process
- Contact the Research Office at [email protected] for additional information or if you plan to submit a proposal
- Email [email protected] with questions
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- The Research Office