ROAD TO THE CURE UPDATE NOVEMBER 2013

World Parkinson Congress

Dr. Anna Cartier and Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, SDBC members presented a poster, “A Novel Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Permeable PET ligand for Parkinson’s Disease (PD)” at the World Parkinson Congress (WPC), Montreal, QC. The poster session and poster tour presentation was very well received and met with great enthusiasm from both the scientific and patient community. We thank Jo Rosen, Parkinson Resource Organization, for representing SDBC in this event at WPC. Jo clearly wants to see a curative treatment for PD in the market ASAP.

Keystone Symposia, Colorado, March, 2014

The SDBC just submitted two abstracts to the prestigious Keystone Symposia to be chosen for presentations either in poster or oral formats in March of 2014. Keystone conferences are historically known for their efforts to bring leading scientists together to discuss latest advances in neurodegenerative and other disorders. In this regard, Keystone symposia connect the scientific community and accelerate life science discovery.

Pharmacokinetics (PK) and Biodistribution (BD) Study

Pharmacokinetics (PK) is a study that helps to establish how long the drug stays in the body. In simple words, PK helps to establish dose and frequency of a therapeutic drug. Biodistribution (BD) study helps to evaluate which organs the drug goes to. Thus, determination of PK and BD of alpha-syn-SMART™ Molecule (α-syn-SM) is an essential part of developing clinical treatment for PD. This study requires a large colony of PD-like transgenic mice and handsome amounts of the potential drug; α-syn-SM. The SDBC has been busy in expanding its alpha-synuclein mouse colonies and trying to generate adequate quantities of α-syn-SM to conduct PK and BD studies.

Need for a Micro-PET Scanner

To conduct PK and BD studies, the SDBC is in need of a micro-PET Scanner (PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography). The Company has identified the scanner, Genisys PET Scanner, developed by Sofi Biosciences, Los Angeles. The instrument costs $313,000 (highly discounted price) and the SDBC is trying to raise funds to buy this key piece of equipment.

Meanwhile, the SDBC has established collaboration with an imaging facility in Quebec. The SDBC’s goal is to begin the experimental procedure for the radio-labeling of α-syn-SM, and test its utility as an imaging tracer using positron emission tomography (PET) PET scanning.

Blood Test for PD

The SDBC is also contemplating developing a diagnostic test for PD from blood. Its scientists are planning to determine if alpha-synuclein can be detected in the blood of PD-like transgenic mice. For this purpose, blood will be collected from PD-like transgenic mice at different ages and levels of serum alpha-synuclein will be compared in these mice. If indeed alpha-syn is effluxed (a flowing out, or emanating; a thing that flows out) by the PD brain into blood, these measurements will not only help to diagnose the condition but also help to monitor the effect of the treatment.

BBB integrity in PD-Like Transgenic Mice

The SDBC is conducting an experiment in collaboration with UCSD to determine the integrity of BBB in PD-like transgenic mice. We hope to have data available to us very soon, which will be communicated to the readers of PRO next month.

Parkinson’s Resource Organization is appreciative to have been the first Parkinson’s Organization to have been introduced to this life-changing science. This science needs funding to bring it to fruition.

Being a part of this historic, humanitarian effort requires an investment. If you have Parkinson’s it may be an investment into your life, if you don’t have Parkinson’s it may be an investment in humanity. Contact Jo Rosen who will introduce you to the right parties for making your investment possible. The only obstacle to getting to the human side of this science is funding. The sooner the funds are raised the sooner human clinical trials can begin. The possibility of being in human clinical trials in 12 months is possible if full funding happened tomorrow. The sooner it’s completely funded, the sooner it will be in human clinical trials. Call and be surprised at how little full funding is.