NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Chronix Biomedical is working with drug development firm Hemispherx Biopharma on developing a molecular diagnostic test for chronic fatigue syndrome.
The firms said that they have jointly filed for a US patent on their method, which combines Chronix's DNA analysis technology with advanced DNA sequencing platforms to measure alterations in specific regions of the chromosome. San Jose, Calif.-based Chronix said that the technology can detect the presence of disease-damaged cells in blood samples without the need for a biopsy for diseased cells or tissues.
Last year, Chronix reported that a study in the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics supported the use of its technology in monitoring the clinical status of chronic disease. The firm's technology identifies disease-specific genetic fingerprints based on circulating DNA released into the bloodstream by damaged and dying cells.
"We capture what is happening to the DNA very early in and throughout the disease process, in real time, and patient by patient," Howard Urnovitz, CEO and CSO of Chronix Biomedical, said in a statement today. "That's how our approach differs from other tests that focus on static genomic data or protein biomarkers."
Chronix and Hemispherx plan to evaluate the technology in a study of CFS patients. In addition, the studies will evaluate the use of the test in identifying how patients respond to Hemispherx's experimental drug Ampligen.