Michael J. Fox Celebrates Major Parkinson's Breakthrough After 'Terrible Year'

The research was funded by his own foundation.

It hasn't been a great year for Michael J. Fox, but things are starting to look up.

In a new interview with Stat News, the Back to the Future actor opened up about his "terrible year"—in which he broke several bones in a fall—and revealed how things are turning around. Case in point: Fox highlighted the Oscar he won for his humanitarian work, his upcoming documentary, and a new breakthrough in Parkinson's research.

“This is the thing,” he said. “This is the big reward. This is the big trophy,” he said of the advancement that was funded by his own foundation: the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

The research, which the results of which were published in The Lancet Neurology, has cost the foundation hundreds of millions of dollars since the 1,123-person study began in 2010, and it seems to be paying off.

Specifically, they seem to have confirmed that the presence of a specific misfolded protein, known as alpha-synuclein, can be used to determine the likelihood that someone will develop the disease, which may aid in the development of earlier diagnostics and additional treatments.

As of now, the protein's presence can only be detected via spinal tap, but scientists hope to develop simpler ways, such as a skin biopsy or a nasal swab.

Fox, now 61, was diagnosed significantly earlier than most Parkinson's patients at the age of 29. Thanks to this development, kids may soon be diagnosed as toddlers. “It’s all changed. It can be known and treated early on. It’s huge,” he said, though he also acknowledged that the road ahead isn't expected to be short.

“At a personal level I’d love to see this happen before I get on the bus and head to the next parking lot,” he said.

As for how he's doing now? He assured fans that he's “feeling better.”

Related: Michael J. Fox Speaks Candidly About Living With Parkinson's