Grant backs new imaging approach for earlier Parkinson’s detection
MJFF funding supports MODAG’s PET tracer targeting alpha-synuclein
- MJFF funds development of MODAG's PET tracer (MODAG-009) for earlier Parkinson's detection.
- The tracer is designed to visualize aggregated alpha-synuclein, a protein central to Parkinson’s disease pathology.
- The approach aims to improve diagnosis, track disease progression, and support development of disease-modifying therapies.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded a $1 million research grant to MODAG to advance new PET imaging tools aimed at detecting Parkinson’s disease earlier and more accurately.
Specifically, the funding will support the clinical development of MODAG-009, a PET tracer designed to measure clumps of aggregated alpha-synuclein in the brain, a protein known to play a central role in Parkinson’s disease.
“A PET tracer that makes pathological alpha-synuclein deposits in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease visible for the first time could represent a major step forward for the field,” Johannes Levin, MD, chief medical officer of MODAG, said in a company press release. “It could not only improve the accuracy of diagnoses, but also significantly accelerate the development of disease-modifying therapies.”
Torsten Matthias, managing director of MODAG, said the additional funding “enables continued progress of our PET tracer program and advances efforts to bring meaningful innovations to people living with Parkinson’s disease.”
How alpha-synuclein buildup drives Parkinson’s disease
Parkinson’s is caused by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons — nerve cells that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger essential for movement control. Researchers believe this cell loss is driven in part by toxic clumps of misfolded proteins, especially alpha-synuclein, that build up in the brain.
More precise diagnostic tools that can measure alpha-synuclein in the brain could help doctors diagnose Parkinson’s earlier, track how the disease progresses, and evaluate whether experimental therapies aimed at reducing alpha-synuclein buildup are working.
One potential approach is positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, which uses radioactive tracers designed to bind to aggregated alpha-synuclein. According to MODAG, its tracer candidate MODAG-009 binds to these aggregates and has appeared safe in early patient use, with promising preliminary results.
Armin Giese, MD, MODAG’s chief scientific officer, said that through “precise chemical analysis and the targeted selection of suitable molecular structures, we were able to identify compounds that bind particularly strongly and specifically to alpha-synuclein aggregates – an ideal basis for the development of selective PET tracers.”
In the newly funded project, researchers will test the safety and effectiveness of MODAG-009 in healthy volunteers and in people with Parkinson’s disease or multiple system atrophy (MSA), a related disorder also characterized by alpha-synuclein buildup.
This additional funding enables continued progress of our PET tracer program and advances efforts to bring meaningful innovations to people living with Parkinson’s disease
During the study, researchers will closely monitor participants’ health using physical and neurological exams, along with checks of vital signs and blood samples. They will also evaluate whether MODAG-009 enables alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain to be visualized using PET imaging.
If these early studies are successful, the team plans to conduct additional trials in more patients to confirm MODAG-009’s ability to measure alpha-synuclein aggregates in the human brain and explore whether it could eventually be used as part of routine clinical care.
This funding aligns with MJFF’s broader strategy to support objective tools for diagnosing Parkinson’s disease and tracking its progression. The foundation has previously funded projects supporting preclinical studies and a Phase 1 trial evaluating a related PET tracer, MODAG-005, designed to detect alpha-synuclein aggregates in Parkinson’s disease and MSA.
Jamie Eberling, PhD, senior vice president of research resources at MJFF, said, “By supporting efforts to develop imaging agents that target pathological alpha-synuclein, we aim to help the research community move closer to earlier diagnosis, improved clinical trial design, and ultimately, breakthroughs that benefit patients.”
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