CurePSP extends its partnership with the Rainwater Charitable Foundation to accelerate the development of neuroimaging human biomarkers for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and other primary tauopathies
Jan 31, 2023 By Oscar Sullivan
NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — CurePSP has awarded a $90,000 grant for the pre-clinical and clinical development of a high-affinity neuroimaging agent to visualize tau deposits specifically in the brains of patients living with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). This potential breakthrough study aims to aid diagnosis and help advance new treatments for PSP and CBD.
The CurePSP grant was made possible by Carol’s Walk to Cure PSP, a 2022 community fundraising effort led by the New York-based Canter family to support Carol Canter who was diagnosed with PSP, a rare form of neurodegeneration that involves pathological accumulation of the tau protein in the brain.
The grant will accelerate a large biomarker and drug development effort supported by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF), a long-term partner of CurePSP. The recipients of the CurePSP grant are Dr. Neil Vasdev, director of the Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, at CAMH, Toronto, Canada, and Dr. Chester Mathis, distinguished professor of radiology at the University of Pittsburgh. Within the coming years, these two world-class researchers and the team assisting them plan to deliver a positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical and complete the first in-human tau PET imaging study in patients with PSP.
Dr. Kristophe Diaz, executive director and chief science officer for CurePSP, said, “The creation and validation of more objective biological measures and biomarkers in PSP, CBD and other neuropathologies are fundamental to the advancement of a therapy for those living with these fast-progressing and hard-to-diagnose neurodegenerative diseases.”
To date, there are no effective treatments for most neurodegenerative diseases. To advance useful solutions for families, scientists from academia and industry must create and validate fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers.
“CurePSP’s contribution to this effort gives me hope of real progress and also demonstrates the power and generosity of our community in catalyzing real advances for a cure,” said Rich Spain, CurePSP’s director of development.
Dr. Glenn A. Harris, director of business development and research partnerships and the drug discovery lead for the RCF, said, “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with CurePSP by supporting programs that have a high likelihood of improving patient outcomes. Drs. Vasdev and Mathis are world-class researchers, and this study will leverage their expertise toward improving neuroimaging capabilities for the primary tauopathies.”
Speaking on behalf of the Canter family and the many friends who contributed to Carol’s Walk to Cure PSP, Stephen E. Canter said, “We are delighted to partner with CurePSP and the RCF. We hope this grant will provide further support for the promising fundamental research of Drs. Vasdev and Mathis.”
About CurePSP
CurePSP is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the awareness, care and cure for three neurodegenerative diseases: progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). As a catalyst for new treatments and a cure, CurePSP establishes important partnerships and funds critical research. Through its advocacy and support efforts, CurePSP enhances education, care delivery and quality of life for people living with PSP, CBD and MSA and their families. Science, community and hope are at the heart of CurePSP’s mission and all its services. CurePSP is a registered 501(c)(3) charity within the United States (EIN: 52-1704978). For more information, please visit https://www.curepsp.org/.
About the Rainwater Charitable Foundation
The Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF) was created in the early 1990s by renowned private equity investor and philanthropist Richard E. Rainwater. The RCF supports a range of programs in K-12 education, medical research and other worthy causes. To deliver on its mission to accelerate the development of new diagnostics and treatments for tau-related neurodegenerative disorders, the RCF medical research team manages the Tau Consortium and the Rainwater Prize programs. For more information, please visit http://rainwatercharitablefoundation.org, http://www.rainwaterprize.org and https://tauconsortium.org.
Contact:
Kristophe Diaz, PhD
CurePSP Executive Director
646-725-1453