OMAHA, Neb. and HOUSTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Transgenomic, Inc. and Power3 Medical Products, Inc. today announced the advance on-line publication of a clinical research paper entitled “Abnormal Serum Concentrations of Proteins in Parkinson’s Disease” in the scientific journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. The study demonstrates the usefulness of a protein biomarker panel to distinguish Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients from age-matched normal controls independent of the severity of symptoms, using clinical blood serum samples.
The article describes the use of analytically validated quantitative 2D gel electrophoresis to identify protein biomarkers for diagnosing PD using serum from routinely collected blood samples. 57 protein biomarkers, which had been discovered using retrospective blood serum samples from various neurodegenerative diseases, were then applied specifically to PD in a prospective clinical investigation using freshly collected blood serum from PD patients and age-matched normal controls. A multi-variate statistical method, stepwise linear discriminant analysis, selected a combination of 21 of the biomarkers as optimal to distinguish PD patients from controls. When applied to the PD samples, the 21-protein set had sensitivity of 93.3% (52 of 56 PD correctly classified) and specificity of 92.9% (28 of 30 controls correctly classified); 15 of 15 patients with mild and 28 of 30 with moderate to severe symptoms were correctly classified, as were all 6 PD samples from an independent site.
“In the U.S., there are an estimated 1.5 million individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Unfortunately, by the time patients are given a probable diagnosis, many have already suffered substantial and irreparable brain damage, rendering treatment less effective,” said Dr. Ira Goldknopf, President and CSO of Power3 Medical and lead author on the paper. “The fact that these results were obtained using fresh blood serum, in the same way that the test will be performed in a clinical diagnostic setting, provides further support for their robustness and their commercial value.”
About Transgenomic, Inc.
Transgenomic, Inc. is a global biotechnology company specializing in high sensitivity genetic variation and mutation analysis, providing products and services in DNA mutation detection and discovery for clinical research, clinical molecular diagnostics and pharmacogenomics analyses. Its product offerings include the WAVE(R) Systems and associated consumables specifically designed for use in genetic variation detection and single- and double-strand DNA/RNA analysis and purification. With broad applicability to genetic research, over 1,450 systems have been shipped to customers in more than 30 countries. The SURVEYOR(R) Mutation Detection Kits and SURVEYOR Check-It Kit provide reagents and protocols for high sensitivity detection of mutations in DNA. In addition, HANABI automated chromosome harvesting systems improve laboratory productivity with consistent quality compared to manual methods for cytogenetic analyses. Service offerings include the Transgenomic Molecular Laboratory, which provides reference laboratory services specializing in molecular diagnostics including Mitochondrial Disorders, Oncology and Hematology, Molecular Pathology and Inherited Diseases. Transgenomic Pharmacogenomic Services is a CRO for pharmacogenomic, translational research and clinical trials.
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Transgenomic, Inc.; Power3 Medical Products, Inc.
