美國國家環境健康科學研究院宣布了一項撥款，用于資助發現肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化的新型生物學標記物，該項目部分由美國國家健康研究所資助。

獲得這項撥款的是Metabolon公司,該公司已經研制開發了新技術用于測量生化改變譜,然后描繪了這些改變導致代謝代謝途徑的影響.這項技術能夠被用于鑒別疾病地新生物指標,以及鑒別更加安全的化合物用于藥物研發.

肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化,或者叫做Lou Gherig病,是一種進行性,神經退行性疾病,能夠影響大腦神經細胞以及脊髓.僅僅在美國每年就診斷出5600例新病例.一旦診斷,肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化患者的平均壽命在2~5年之間.目前市場上只有一種藥物用于治療肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化.

Metabolon公司將使用該公司的metabolomics平臺檢測患者的血漿樣本,以鑒別肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化的生物指標.這些生物標記將與那些其它運動神經元疾病進行比較,以確定肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化特征是獨一無二的,或者與其它運動神經元疾病一樣.Metabolon公司同時還將研究肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化的這些生物學標記如何隨著疾病進展而發生改變.如果該公司能夠成功鑒別出獨特的生物學標記,這就成為開發新型診斷與治療方法的基礎.

Metabolon公司總裁兼首席執行官John Ryals博士指出:"我們獲得第三項撥款,顯示Metabolon公司的技術在開發肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化疾病的新型診斷與治療方法方面,具有巨大的潛能." [本文由美迪醫療網成揚編譯】
 
Metabolon to Search for ALS Biomarkers
 
A grant to discover novel biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has been announced by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA).

The recipient of the grant was Metabolon, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC, USA), which has developed new technology for measuring the spectrum of biochemical changes and then mapping these changes to metabolic pathways. The technology can be used to identify novel biomarkers of disease and identify safer compounds for drug development.

ALS, or Lou Gherig’s disease, is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. About 5,600 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone. Once diagnosed, the average life expectancy of an ALS patient is two to five years. There is currently only one drug on the market for the treatment of ALS.

Metabolon will test plasma samples obtained from patients using its metabolomics platform to identify biomarkers for ALS. These biomarkers will be compared to those of other motor neuron diseases to determine if the ALS signature is unique or common to other motor neuron disorders. Metabolon will also study how biomarkers for ALS change with disease progression. If the company is successful in identifying unique biomarkers, these could become the basis for a diagnostic test and new therapies.

“It is clear from the receipt of our third grant that Metabolon’s technology has great potential to discover novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of ALS,” noted Dr. John Ryals, president and CEO of Metabolon.