$4,830,000
Next Generation Clinical Proteomics to Target Human Health Challenges
Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Focus: To develop a new proteomics (the large-scale identification of all the proteins in a sample, e.g., blood) technology and apply it in search of blood biomarkers for liver disease and in subsequent use as a powerful tool in the study of cancer, diabetes, and other conditions.
The investigators will develop and apply new technology to find blood proteins that reveal the earliest signs of chronic liver disease. The goal is to establish a safer, non-invasive, easier diagnostic process for liver fibrosis than liver biopsy, allowing an earlier intervention at lower cost and reduced levels of illness and patient discomfort. In Washington State, more than 4,000 people are diagnosed annually with liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). About half are cured with a cost of $13 million for diagnosis. This team's technology platform would enable earlier diagnosis of HCV and is projected to increase successful treatment rates by nearly ten percent. Integral to this program is the extension of the technology platform to address problems in other diseases and to make it commercially available for broad clinical use.
Organizations collaborating in this research are: University of Washington.
Grant Update
“To date a significant amount of progress has been made in achieving the goals and milestones laid out for this LSDF program. Briefly, the development of the next generation clinical proteomics analysis platform has progressed as planned and we are currently poised to begin full operation of this platform for the investigation of potential blood based biomarkers of liver disease progression. While this new platform development was underway, conventional proteomics platforms were used to take an initial discovery based survey of clinical human serum collected from liver transplant study patients. Preliminary results have revealed multiple potential candidates that appear promising to discriminate across levels of fibrosis/disease progression but a significant amount of effort remains as we continue to progress through pre-validation and validation phases.”
