UCSD Teams Up with Michael J. Fox to Fight Parkinson’s Disease

The School of Medicine has teamed up with a foundation created by actor Michael J. Fox for a five-year study on Parkinson’s disease. The partnership, which focuses on finding substances or characteristics in the body that can be associated with the progression of the illness, was announced Tuesday.

UCSD is one of 18 participants in the Parkinson’s Progression Makers Initiative research initiative.

Since no so-called “biomarkers” are known, medical professionals have had a hard time diagnosing and treating the condition. The development of medications has been slowed because there is no way to objectively measure results, according to the foundation.

“PPMI holds potential, not only to accelerate the development of breakthrough Parkinson’s treatments for the future, but also to improve diagnosis and treatment of today’s generation of PD patients,” said Dr. Douglas Galasko, a professor in the UCSD Department of Neurosciences and the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Parkinson’s Disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that afflicts one in 100 people over the age of 60. More than 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, according to the National Parkinson Foundation.

UCSD plans to begin enrolling 20 patients and 10 control subjects next month.

Fox, who is known for his roles as Marty McFly in Back to the Future, Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and Mike Flaherty in Spin City, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991.

The mission of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is to close the gap between research and practical treatments.

City News Service contributed to this report.