The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) landmark study, the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), continues around the world. Recent research focuses on specific groups of interests, in areas ranging from impulse control disorders (ICDs) to REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) to predi...
Visit PageThe landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) marches forward in its massive expansion, study leaders brought updates and ideas to the PPMI annual meeting to continue building this cornerstone of Parkinson’s research. The study is broadening its data set —the most robust in th...
Visit PageThe coronavirus pandemic has forced many research operations to go remote, including in our landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study. While progress may be happening differently, it is still steadily marching forward. PPMI is The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) global ...
Visit PageThe landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study aims to better define and measure Parkinson’s disease so scientists can find new ways to treat it. Now following nearly 1,400 participants at 33 clinical sites around the world, PPMI collects data and biosamples over at least f...
Visit PageTwo recent papers point to potential Parkinson’s biomarkers after analysis of data from The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). PPMI is a landmark study following more than 1,500 volunteers at 33 clinical sites around the world, and provides i...
Visit PageThe Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) has reached an important milestone: the study completed enrollment. We have now met the ambitious goal we set back in 2010 of enrolling 1,400 participants, including 600 with rare genetic mutations. PPMI is The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s lan...
Visit PagePrincipal investigator of the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), Ken Marek, MD, presented the latest findings from the landmark biomarkers study — sponsored by The Michael J. Fox Foundation — at the 18th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in...
Visit PageThe first major study results from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) are highlighted in today’s edition of USA Today. The study, which was published in the journal JAMA Neurology, studied the cerebrospinal fluid of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) as compared with cont...
Visit PageSunday Night Australia taped exclusive interviews with friends of the Foundation last month, including Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) control participant Marc Jaffe, his wife Karen and Dr. Ken Marek, the study’s principal investigator. PPMI is The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s...
Visit PageAbout PPMI The Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) is an observational research study to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease (PD) progression. A biomarker is a substance or characteristic in our bodies that is associated with the presence of disease, or that changes over tim...
Visit PageIn 2023, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) announced an enormous leap forward in the understanding of Parkinson’s disease with the discovery of a Parkinson’s biomarker. Researchers have discovered a new tool that can reveal a key pathology of the disease: ab...
Visit PageThe Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has announced that researchers at Duke University School of Medicine have found a new test for detecting PD. Called Mito DNADX, this test uses blood to detect damage in the DNA inside of mitochondria, tiny powerhouses in cells that malfun...
Visit PageIn December of last year, I took on the role as CEO of Shake It Up Australia, after nearly six years as Executive General Manager. At the time, I shared my vision for the future of Shake It Up, one of continued growth to fund cutting-edge research projects that will make a real difference for people...
Visit PageSmell loss became a popular topic of conversation during the COVID pandemic. Many now are personally aware of the importance of sense of smell and the significant role it plays in how we move through life. And researchers and doctors now understand more about how smell works, why it might decrease, ...
Visit PageThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved lecanemab (brand name Leqembi) developed by Eisai Co Ltd. and Biogen Inc. for people with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s dementia. Patients will need to show — on a brain scan or in spinal fluid sample — that t...
Visit PageScientists have recently discovered that the skin of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) has a unique scent. And MJFF-funded scientists are now working to define this scent as a potential tool to diagnose the disease earlier and more easily. This finding was made, in large part, thanks to Joy Mi...
Visit PageNavigating a Parkinson’s diagnosis can be challenging, but you’re not alone. In this audio expert panellists share practical tips for managing the early years of Parkinson’s disease (PD). They discuss how to build your care team, the importance of diet and exercise and opportunities to parti...
Visit PageA significant milestone in brain disease research was achieved early this week when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced approval of aducanumab for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. This drug marks several important firsts for the neuroscience field: the first approval of a new drug...
Visit PageAnother therapy in the drug development pipeline has taken a step forward with the start of a new trial in nearly 600 people with Parkinson’s. Partners Prothena and Roche have enrolled the first participant in their Phase IIb trial of an antibody (called prasinezumab) targeting the protein alpha-s...
Visit PageIn this audio from our partners at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Larry Gifford, Patient Council member at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, leads a discussion on navigating a new Parkinson’s diagnosis. Panellists include: Phil Alongi, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019. He discusses how...
Visit PageThe Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) plays a critical role in convening partners and competitors to work together on new treatments and disease measures for Parkinson’s. In February, we held an annual meeting on the LRRK2 protein which is linked to causing Parkinson’s. Our LRRK2 Industry Summi...
Visit PageIn the last six years, 16 new treatments have been improved for Parkinson’s but there is still much work to be done. In this audio from our Third Thursdays Webinar, Todd Sherer, PhD, CEO at The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) speaks with Bret Parker, MJFF Patient Council co-chair; Sohini Chow...
Visit PageResearch tells us that more men are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease than women. But what do we know about how they experience symptoms and progression of the disease? Earlier this month, a paper exploring some of these differences between men and women was published in the journal Movement Dis...
Visit PageCongratulations to Ian and Karen who were married end of September and kind-heartedly asked for donations to Shake It Up instead of gifts. Their wedding was a beautiful day with friends and family. Very relaxed and special. Friends and family gave generously and they raised $1,413. What drive...
Visit PageRecently, a team at Lund University published results in JAMA on a potential blood test for Alzheimer’s. It measures levels of plasma phospho-tau217 (P-tau217), a protein present in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s and some other neurodegenerative disorders. Though more research i...
Visit PageHow do we smell? Tiny odour molecules — of cookies baking in the oven, laundry that needs to be cleaned, or rosemary growing in the garden — travel in the air through the nose to the smell, or olfactory, nerve. These molecules bind to receptors on the olfactory nerve, which transmits information...
Visit PageEarlier this month three members of The Michael J. Fox Foundation staff sat with Contributing Editor Dave Iverson to discuss the latest findings and research to better define, measure and treat Parkinson’s disease. Listen to the Podcast https://www.michaeljfox.org/sites/default/files/audio/podcast...
Visit PageIn August 2011, Shake It Up Australia Foundation established a collaboration with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to leverage Parkinson’s drug development expertise In Australia.
Visit PageParkinson’s research continues to advance at a rapid pace. Led by moderator Soania Mathur, MD, co-chair of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Patient Council, panelists Andrew Siderowf, MD, director, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center and Todd Sherer, PhD, MJFF CEO unpack milestone...
Visit PageTwo recent papers outline the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) movement or motor symptoms in distinct study populations. While these findings do not provide an absolute picture of how one person will progress with PD, the results may help researchers design smaller, faster and less expensiv...
Visit PageThe Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and five life sciences companies today announced a public-private partnership to advance understanding, measurement and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The latest focus of the NIH Accelerating Medicines Partnership (A...
Visit PageMillions of people reach for a caffeinated beverage each morning to jumpstart the day. Now, early research indicates that the stimulant that gets people moving also might help diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD). A recent study published in Neurologyfound that people with Parkinson’s had signif...
Visit PageOn October 30, more than 300 leaders in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research and business development gathered in NYC for The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s 11th Annual Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference. The event featured the latest in Parkinson’s drug development and innovative researc...
Visit PageA new stem cell study, published in the journal Nature, builds on the potential for this therapy in Parkinson’s, but it’s still early days and much work remains to be done. A team of researchers demonstrated that human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — “man-made” stem cells created...
Visit PageA new tool from researchers at Harvard Medical School may allow investigators to predict cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which could help design clinical trials and test new therapies. The tool uses an algorithm combining varied personal details — age at onset, baselin...
Visit PageParkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex and varied disorder with many different potential motor and non-motor symptoms. Early on, it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether symptoms are caused by Parkinson’s or an atypical parkinsonism, a condition that shares some of the motor symptoms (t...
Visit PageSanofi Genzyme has started a clinical trial for a drug targeting cellular dysfunction seen in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and a GBA mutation. This study is a major step for PD research as it is the first drug trial where one’s genetic information determines eligibility and is testing...
Visit PageThe genetics of Parkinson’s is complex, but each new study helps us piece together a greater understanding of how key genes, such as LRRK2, contribute to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Carrying a LRRK2 mutation increases the risk of PD, but the age at which the disease appears (if it does; not al...
Visit PageParkinson’s is a variable disease — different in age of onset, experience of symptoms and cause — but a new study points to a potential common link. “Finding a common mechanism behind different suspected causes of Parkinson’s suggests that there might also be a common means to measure, tre...
Visit PageDenali Therapeutics — a San Francisco biotech that launched last year focused on neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s — recently announced it has licensed LRRK2 inhibitor compounds from Genentech. These drug candidates may address the dysfunction seen with LRRK2 mutations, the g...
Visit PageNo objective measurement — or biomarker — currently exists to diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD). Instead, doctors must rely on a person’s medical history and physical examination to recognize the disease. This can sometimes result in missed or incorrect diagnoses, so significant research e...
Visit PageEveryone in the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community likely has heard this question and asked it themselves. We say that PD is rarely caused by genetics, but what does that mean for those living with the disease today, their children and family? There remain many more questions surrounding the gene...
Visit PageProfessor Dominic Rowe, the man at the center of some of the World’s best Parkinson’s research. Here’s what inspires him in his search for change: What Drives Your Commitment to find a cure for Parkinson’s? From early in my training in neurology, I have wanted to know what causes Parkinson...
Visit PageDepression may be an early indicator of Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk, reports study findings published in the journal Neurology last week. Investigators looked at data from more than 20,000 people with and without depression from over 10 years culled from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Re...
Visit PageOn Tuesday, February 19, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) hosted the first event of the year in its Hot Topics in Parkinson’s disease (PD) Research Seminar Series: “An Overview of Parkinson’s Disease Research.” The Webinar, which is now available on demand, was hosted by MJFF Contributi...
Visit PageIan Read is our Hero for his participation in Parkinson’s Clinical trails here in Australia. People like Ian play a HUGE role in finding the cure for Parkinson’s disease and for that we will always be thankful. Did you know that fewer than 10% of Parkinson’s patients ever take part in trials, ...
Visit PageThis week, Michael J. Fox Foundation CEO Todd Sherer, PhD, is attending the 17th Annual Movement Disorder Society Congress in Sydney, Australia, one of the largest international gatherings of experts in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other movement disorders. Sherer also took advantage of his tr...
Visit PageThe below post is written by Genia Brin, mother of internet entrepreneur and Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin. Care of the Michael J Fox Foundation, Genia looks into how her family went about finding out if they were impacted by a genetic mutation that plays a role in causing Parkinson’s. See how h...
Visit PageOver the past few months, one particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD) drug target has repeatedly been in the news for all the wrong reasons: a protein called beta amyloid. Many in the field of AD research have hypothesized that the accumulation of plaques of beta amyloid in the brain could play a caus...
Visit PageShake It Up Australia and The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) today announced the first of up to $3 million worth of Australian research grants to help find a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The research will explore the potential link between the immune system and the gene LRRK2 in people with...
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