Proteomics specialist Biognosys Group has announced a collaboration with The Michael J. Fox Foundation to develop biomarker assays for Parkinson's disease.
The new partnership will support MJFF's LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange (LITE), a global initiative designed to accelerate the development of therapies and biomarkers targeting leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), the most common genetic risk factor for late-onset Parkinson's disease.
LRRK2 has emerged as an important target in Parkinson's research, with a growing number of therapeutic modalities under development to reduce excessive LRRK2 activity.
These approaches could benefit individuals with LRRK2 mutations and a broader population of people with Parkinson's disease who share the same dysregulated biological pathway.
However, a significant barrier to progress is the lack of sensitive and reliable biomarkers to measure LRRK2 expression and activity as a treatment indicator.
Developing these assays is challenging due to low signal abundance and biological complexity.
Biognosys will use the SISCAPA and TrueSignature ultra-sensitive proteomics platforms in this collaboration to tackle these issues and support the use of LRRK2 and related biomarkers in clinical trials.
"Successful clinical development requires not only promising therapeutic approaches, but also reliable tools to measure whether those therapies are having their intended biological effect," said Dr Oliver Rinner, Senior Vice President at Biognosys Group.
By combining Biognosys' expertise in highly sensitive, quantitative proteomics with MJFF's collaborative LITE framework, we aim to accelerate the development of biomarkers that can meaningfully guide Parkinson's drug development and de-risk clinical trials.
LITE is a global collaboration involving more than 50 academic, industry and clinical partners.
Participants share resources, biosamples, tools and early findings in real time, creating an environment for quickly evaluating and advancing promising therapeutic ideas.
"Through LITE, the Michael J. Fox Foundation supports collaborative efforts to develop reliable biomarkers that can measure target engagement and biological response in Parkinson's disease," said Dr Shalini Padmanabhan, Senior Vice President of Discovery and Translational Research at MJFF.
Investments in sensitive assay development are essential for strengthening the tools needed to advance clinical research and evaluate emerging therapeutic strategies.