Oxford BioDynamics Plc Collaboration into identifying diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Alexandre Akoulitchev, Chief Scientific Officer of Oxford BioDynamics, said:

“We are looking forward to joining forces with the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza team, to develop reliable non-invasive biomarkers for ASD. We are highly appreciative of the great expertise and ASD insights from our Italian colleagues. We strongly believe our work will help to improve the understanding of epigenetic controls and mechanisms behind this disorder. This agreement further demonstrates rising interest in our proprietary technology, EpiSwitch™, which offers results of unique value and clinical utility in biomarker discovery and disease understanding for a broad spectrum of complex indications, from immune-oncology and autoimmune conditions, to neurodegeneration, psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions.”

Oxford BioDynamics Plc (LON:OBD) today announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, a recognised research and biomedical institution of national importance in Italy, to identify EpiSwitch™ biomarkers for the blood-based diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The agreement between OBD and Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza aims to develop a diagnostic biomarker assay for ASD, using the EpiSwitch™ technology platform. Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza will supply blood samples from both autistic subjects and healthy controls. These will then be screened at high resolution for epigenetic changes, in the form of chromosome conformational signatures, by OBD using the EpiSwitch™ high throughput technology platform. In addition to identifying a potential diagnostic biomarker assay, OBD hopes to expand the epigenetic knowledge base for ASD, facilitating future research and pharmaceutical development into this spectrum of disorders.

ASD, which is thought to be caused by a complex interaction of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors, represents a group of neurodevelopmental disorders, characterised by problems with social interaction and communication. It is estimated that approximately 1 in every 100 people in the UK has ASD. There is no cure for ASD, however speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and educational support provide great benefits for these patients. Earlier diagnosis would allow more timely intervention, improving the results of treatment and enhancing clinical outcomes.

Currently, diagnosis for ASD remains challenging due to broad ranging symptoms and differential progression and manifestation of the disorder. As the EpiSwitch™ platform monitors the environmental impact on the genome, it is well placed to identify biomarkers for diagnosing ASD through minimally invasive blood sampling.

 

Click to view all articles for the EPIC:
Or click to view the full company profile:
    Facebook
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    Oxford BioDynamics

    More articles like this

    Oxford BioDynamics

    How are EpiSwitch markers detected?

    Introduction: Getting the basics right Oxford BioDynamics’ (OBD) EpiSwitch™ biomarker discovery platform combined with their newly enhanced detection technology gives the company valuable quantitative insights into chromosome conformations (DNA protein complexes) that regulate normal and disease

    Oxford BioDynamics

    What is EpiSwitchTM and how is it used?

    Oxford BioDynamics’ EpiSwitch™ technology is based on epigenetics, mechanisms that alter gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence and whose deregulation plays a role in the development of cancer, autoimmune, and neurologic diseases. Although DNA

    Oxford BioDynamics

    Sanders-Brown research highlights form of severe dementia

    The long-running study on aging and brain health at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (SBCoA) Alzheimer’s Disease Center has once again resulted in important new findings – highlighting a complex and under-recognized form

    Oxford BioDynamics

    Researchers identify new genetic defect linked to ALS

    Mutations in the UBQLN2 gene, known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), promote the buildup of toxic waste in brain cells by preventing the normal function of two cellular degradation mechanisms, a study has found. In addition to its known role

    Oxford BioDynamics

    New questions about Covid-19

    The coronavirus is known with certainty that it emerged in China in November and has since spread to almost the entire world, where it has infected more than 5 million people and killed at least 356,000. Older adults are more

    Oxford BioDynamics

    EpiSwitch technology selected as biomarker platform for COVID-19

    Oxford BioDynamics’ EpiSwitch technology has been chosen as the biomarker platform for prognostic and predictive profiling of COVID-19 patients in the GETAFIX clinical study.Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, and NHS Scotland are

    Oxford BioDynamics

    Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network Opens Online Survey on COVID-19

    The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) has opened an online survey to better understand how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting people with rare diseases, their families, and caregivers. Survey questions cover a patient’s physical and mental health, supply of treatments, and

    Oxford BioDynamics

    Pandemic moves ALS Awareness Month events and activities online

    ALS Awareness Month has been observed each May since 1992. But this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced supporters to rethink ways to raise funds and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In previous years, May has been full of fundraising and educational activities

    Oxford BioDynamics

    ALS Awareness

    “I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down.” That call for awareness comes from the song “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. The song’s writer, Stephen Stills, penned the lyrics in

    Oxford BioDynamics

    ALS Awareness Month This May

    Within weeks following my ALS diagnosis, I faced my first ALS Awareness Month. At the time, I was still figuring out exactly what I had and how to pronounce amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Never mind trying to educate others about it. I hated

    Oxford BioDynamics

    Microarray Facility

    The purpose-built Oxford Biodynamics Array facility offers a complete sample processing service for Comparative Genome Hybridization (CGH) using the Agilent microarray platform.  Agilent’s flexible SurePrint technology produces high-quality arrays of 60-mer oligonucleotides in a range of

    Oxford BioDynamics

    EpiSwitch biomarker discovery platform

    INTRODUCTION • The EpiSwitch biomarker discovery platform detects systemic changes in the cellular genomic architecture using a microarray and PCR-based biomarker platform (Figure 1)1. It identifies and monitors chromosome conformation signatures (CCSs), key regulatory processes that