Imagine a medical breakthrough that started not in a high-tech lab, but with a simple poster at a conference. That’s exactly how the story of CND Life Sciences began; when two neurologists, Dr. Christopher Gibbons and Dr. Roy Freeman, found themselves debating a provocative idea: could a protein linked to Parkinson’s Disease be detected not in the brain, but in the skin?
This protein, phosphorylated alpha-synuclein, had long been associated with neurodegenerative diseases. But until then, it could only be found during autopsies, far too late to help patients. What if it could be spotted earlier, through a skin biopsy?
With support from NINDS and other NIH grants, the researchers pursued this bold idea. Over the years, their work showed that the protein could be found in the skin’s nerve fibers. This discovery led to the development of the Syn-One Test, a minimally invasive diagnostic tool that helps doctors detect early signs of Parkinson’s and related disorders.
But turning science into a real-world solution wasn’t easy. Gibbons and Freeman teamed up with Dr. Todd Levine, a neurologist with a knack for entrepreneurship, and together they founded CND Life Sciences. With no lab, no funding, and no infrastructure, they relied on NIH’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to get started.
Today, CND Life Sciences is helping patients across the country get answers faster and more accurately thanks to a spark of curiosity, years of research, and the power of public support.