CND Life Sciences (CND), a medical technology company pioneering the development of cutaneous neurodiagnostic tests and associated biomarker services, has been awarded a $4.2 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF).
 
The award will support an 18-month clinical initiative, the Syn-Q Study, to investigate the use of the Syn-One Test to quantify abnormal phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in patients with Parkinson’s disease over time. Syn-One is a skin biopsy assay that detects and visualizes phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in cutaneous nerves, a key indicator of Parkinson’s disease and other related disorders known as synucleinopathies.
 
“This grant from MJFF will accelerate our efforts to quantify and monitor alpha-synuclein progression over time,” said Todd Levine, MD, Chief Medical Officer, CND Life Sciences. “We are optimistic that these efforts will aid in the advancement of the field for those living with Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies.”
 
“Biomarkers are critical to early diagnosis and the development of effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease,” said Mark Frasier, PhD, Chief Scientist, MJFF. “The Foundation supports an aggressive agenda to develop quantitative biomarkers of progression that enables research and improves clinical trials. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of this study evaluating abnormal alpha-synuclein in the nerves of the skin.”
 
The study will enroll 75 patients with Parkinson’s disease and 25 patients with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) to further investigate the quantification of P-SYN in skin biopsies. This will include longitudinal clinical assessments and biopsies to track the progression of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein accumulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease. CND will collaborate with approximately 25 clinical sites to enroll participants of different genders, racial backgrounds, and disease severity to ensure a diverse participant pool in the Syn-Q Study.
 
“We are excited to have the funding support of MJFF in our efforts to advance our Syn-One technology,” said Christopher Gibbons, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, CND Life Sciences. “We believe this study will provide a foundational understanding of the natural progression of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein deposition in Parkinson’s disease patients and support the ability to recognize who responds to treatment, assess therapeutic impact, and monitor disease progression.”

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