The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to finding a cure for

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...

(PD) established in 2000 by Michael J. Fox. It concentrates on funding research and ensuring the development of improved therapies for people with Parkinson's.

History

Established in 2000 by Canadian actor Michael J. Fox,Names in the News
. ''Associated Press''. March 18, 2000. ''"My immediate plans are to spend time with my family and hang out. I'll be busy launching my Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research," he said. "I wanted to call it PD Cure but I bounced it off a friend and she said 'Pedicure.'"'' the foundation has since become the largest non-profit funder of Parkinson's disease research in the world, with more than $1 billion of research projects to date. In 2010, the Foundation launched the first large-scale clinical study on evolution

biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, p ...

s of the disease at a cost of $45 million over five years.

Research funding

The Foundation works towards "translational" research—the work of translating basic scientific discoveries into simple treatments with definition to benefit the estimated five million people living with Parkinson's disease today. The Foundation drives progress by awarding grants to ensure that the most promising research avenues are thoroughly funded, explored and carried forward toward pharmacy shelves. The Foundation's four annually recurring ''Pipeline Programs'' aim to speed research along the drug development pipeline. The ''Pipeline Programs'' include: ''Rapid Response Innovation Awards'' quickly support high-risk, high-reward projects with little to no existing preliminary data, but potential to significantly impact our understanding or treatment of PD (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research). ''Target Validation Awards'' provide support for work demonstrating whether modulation of a novel biological target has impact in a PD-relevant pre-clinical model — an essential step to the development of potential targeted therapies (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research). ''Clinical Intervention Awards'' support clinical testing of promising PD therapies that may significantly and fundamentally improve treatment of PD (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research). ''Therapeutics Development Initiative'', an industry-exclusive support program for preclinical development of Parkinson's disease therapies with potential to fundamentally alter disease course and/or improve treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care. The ''Pipeline Programs'' are complemented by the Foundation's ''Critical Challenges in Parkinson's Disease'' program, which provides funds for top research priorities. ''Critical Challenges'' in 2009/2010 include: speeding research on PD genetic targets,

LRRK2 Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), also known as dardarin (from the Basque word "dardara" which means trembling) and PARK8 (from early identified association with Parkinson's disease), is a large, multifunctional kinase enzyme that in humans is ...

and

alpha-synuclein Alpha-synuclein is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the ''SNCA'' gene. Alpha-synuclein is a neuronal protein that regulates synaptic vesicle trafficking and subsequent neurotransmitter release. It is abundant in the brain, while smaller a ...

; advancing research on

neurotrophic factors Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) are a family of biomolecules – nearly all of which are peptides or small proteins – that support the growth, survival, and differentiation of both developing and mature neurons. Most NTFs exert their trop ...

; identifying

biomarkers In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, pa ...

of PD; understanding patient's unmet needs, like postural instability and gait disturbances; and, promoting collaborations with the Arizona Parkinson's Disease Consortium.

Community and matchmaking

* Team Fox for Parkinson's Research is the foundation's grassroots community project raising funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease. * The organization hosts the Fox Trial Finder, which is a website for presenting

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, diet ...

s in Parkinson's disease clinical research.

Education and awareness

The Michael J. Fox Foundation publishes a print newsletter ''The Fox Focus'' two times per year as well as a monthly e-newsletter, FoxFlash, to keep supporters updated on Parkinson's research progress. In 2010, the Foundation launched an audio podcast series on Parkinson's science, hosted by KQED Public Radio Host David Iverson. ''Living with Parkinson's'' is the Foundation's online source for information on PD (including an animation about how the brain is affected by Parkinson's), guides for the newly diagnosed and caregivers, stories from people living with the disease and additional resources. In 2016, it created a raffle to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease and raised $6.75 million through Nike and two auctions in foreign cities such as

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. One of the Nike Mags sold for over $200,000.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fox Foundation Biomedical research foundations Medical and health foundations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in New York City Organizations established in 2000 Parkinson's disease Michael J. Fox