Mayo in line for Parkinson's funding

http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/080104/1572235.html?.v=1
Friday January 4, 2:39 pm ET

The Mayo Clinic Jacksonville could get $1.9 million from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for work on a treatment for Parkinson's disease.

A team of researchers led by Mayo's Dr. Matt Farrer are working on a treatment that could slow or stop the progression of the disease, which is a degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. The team includes researchers from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and The Parkinson's Institute and Clinical Center. Farrer is the principal investigator on the project and a professor of neurogenetics at Mayo.

The funding is dependent on reaching milestones at specific times. If all the milestones are met, Mayo will get $1.9 million, The Parkinson's Institute will get $1.4 million and Alnylam will get $546,000.

The treatment aims to reduce the expression of a protein, alpha-synuclein. Excessive amounts of the protein causes some forms of inherited Parkinson's and may be a feature of noninherited Parkinson's as well.

"More and more scientific evidence supports the hypothesis that lowering alpha-synuclein levels in the brain could achieve the so-called Holy Grail of [Parkinson's Disease] research, a neuroprotective therapy," said Katie Hood, CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

Published January 4, 2008 by the Jacksonville Business Journal