NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Emerald Logic today said that it is collaborating with King's College London on the discovery of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions.
Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Emerald Logic has developed a software product called FACET (Fast Collective Evolution Technology), which automatically generates quantitative models that classify or predict outcomes or disease states and is being used by researchers at King's College to identify the biomarkers. According to the firm, in just six weeks the researchers were able to produce a list of 14 discriminative biomarkers from a set of more than 11,000 markers from 245 study subjects, which were then validated on an additional 82 subjects.
Using the markers, plus APOE genetic information and demographics, the researchers were able to produce a mathematical classifier of 94 percent accuracy in distinguishing Alzheimer's study subjects from controls or those with mild cognitive impairment, Emerald Logic said in a statement.
The firm is collaborating with Simon Lovestone and Richard Dobson of King's College on the project, which is intended to have a translational focus, developing tools that will be useful for detection and potential treatment of Alzheimer's and other diseases associated with aging.
"Emerald Logic's software evolved Alzheimer's disease classifiers from our blood markers with the best accuracy we've seen to date, while simultaneously identifying the most useful markers from a vast dataset including a whole genome transcript assay," Lovestone said in the statement.
According to Emerald Logic CEO Patrick Lilley, the firm intends to provide quantitative biomarker discovery and quantitative diagnostic modeling services using its FACET software. He told GenomeWeb Daily News in an email that the firm can do this regardless of the source of the assay data.
"We can also integrate assay data with other modalities, including genetic information, demographics, imaging, cognitive tests, vitals, etc.," he said. "Part of the reason we so highly value our collaboration with King's College London is that they take an integrative approach, looking at Alzheimer's disease from many biometric perspectives. In our experience, combining modalities tends to produce major improvements in accuracy and insight."