MONTREAL, CANADA, September 9, 2014 -- Caprion announced today that the company has received a research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to identify protein biomarkers associated with Parkinson’s disease — a neurodegenerative brain disease second only to Alzheimer’s in worldwide prevalence, with about five million people affected. The goals of Caprion’s project are to identify and validate biomarkers for the early detection and diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. These biomarkers may also enable monitoring of disease progression and assess the effectiveness of experimental therapies.
While multiple candidate Parkinson’s biomarkers have been identified over the years, none have been validated for diagnosing and monitoring the disease. Caprion strives to change this and make significant advancements in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of Parkinson’s patients. The collaboration includes the use of Caprion’s mass spectrometry-based CNS ProteoCarta™ assay panel of 142 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. An additional 50 proteins with a previous link to Parkinson’s disease will be added to the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assay, which will be used to analyze cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from Parkinson’s disease patients and control subjects.
Daniel Chelsky, Chief Scientific Officer at Caprion and Principal Investigator for the collaboration, commented, “Caprion is honored by the support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation with the hope of improving the lives of those struck by this debilitating disease. We believe that our approach to building highly multiplexed protein assays is well matched to the need for triaging the many candidate biomarkers identified in the literature but not yet validated. Analyzing approximately 200 relevant proteins in the same assay will also accelerate that process and conserve rare test samples.”
“A Parkinson’s biomarker would be a game changer for drug development in our field,” said Catherine Kopil, PhD, associate director of research programs at MJFF. “Caprion’s advanced techniques and thorough approach bring with them high potential to identify novel protein biomarkers that could serve as valuable tools for individual disease management and testing of new therapies.”
About Caprion
Caprion is the leading provider of proteomics and immune monitoring services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Its immune monitoring business unit, ImmuneCarta®, offers proprietary multiparametric flow cytometry for functional analyses of innate and adaptive immune responses. Caprion’s proteomics business unit, ProteoCarta®, offers proprietary gel-free, label-free mass spectrometry for comprehensive, quantitative and robust comparative measurement of proteins across large sets of biological samples for the discovery and validation of protein biomarkers. Caprion also leverages ProteoCarta® to develop its own in-vitro diagnostic products targeting cancer, metabolic and infectious diseases. With research sites in Montreal, Canada and in Menlo Park, CA, Caprion has been providing large-scale proteomics and immune monitoring services to over 50 major pharmaceutical and biotech clients for more than 10 years. Caprion, a privately-held company, is majority owned by Chicago Growth Partners. For more information, please visit www.caprion.com.
About the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson’s disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson’s patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $450 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson’s research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson’s disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson’s awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.
Help employers find you! Check out all the jobs and post your resume.