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An idea whose time has come? A well organized, focused assault on PD. If the entire PD world got behind such an effort, could it work? What do you think? Foundations focus on the results above their own organizations and collaborate to organize a focused effort on the scale of the Manhattan Project; Scientists develop a plan to fill gaps in knowledge needed for curative therapies; NIH pays out the $135m shortfall in the PD research agenda; Drug companies make major contributions and share discoveries. Perry Cohen Cure Parkinson's Project http://www.givingback.org/GIVINGBACK/ Giving Back Fund (GBF) Collaborates with Leaders in Parkinson's Research to Fund Cure What began as a conversation over lunch could end up curing one of the most debilitating diseases of our time. The conversation took place between GBF founder and President Marc Pollick, sports marketing pioneer Jim Warsaw (a Parkinson’s patient, GBF Board Member, and leader in the fight for a cure) and Dr. Jim Fallon, Parkinson’s researcher at the University of California, Irvine. What if, the three surmised, the leading scientists and Parkinson’s researchers chose to ignore politics as usual and the competitive nature of major research and tackled the disease as a team, openly sharing their theories and scientific findings? Could a cure be found faster than the current estimates of 10 to 15 years? Thus, was formed the idea for the Cure Parkinson's Project, modeled after the Manhattan Project of the 1940's in which leading scientists collaborated to discover the atomic bomb. Already the project is attracting the attention of leaders in the scientific and medical communities. The first milestone for the Project will be a conference that will bring together the major stakeholders in the discussion—scientists, Parkinson's foundations, well-known figures who suffer from Parkinson's Disease and potential funders. The conference will address ways in which the Parkinson’s community can overcome obstacles such as the sharing of intellectual property rights so that we can move forward together to find a cure. A cure for Parkinson’s could potentially benefit those who suffer from related neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, and some spinal chord injuries as well. When asked about the project Dr. Fallon stated "The creation of a large scale consortium to bring the top Parkinson's research teams together under one roof for 3-4 years is an extraordinarily unique and powerful model to find a cure for PD once and for all. Breaking down the barriers between multidisciplinary basic and clinical research teams in a setting of instant synergy should dramatically shorten the time and cost of finding a cure. This is an ambitious and exciting project that approaches the scope of the Manhattan project. Most patients and their physicians do not want to wait 15 years for a cure nor do they want to hear an empty promise of a cure in 5 years. It takes this scope of a concerted effort of the best researchers from around the world to realistically deliver a cure in such a short time." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn