NEW YORK — DiamiR said on Wednesday that it has received a $492,000 grant from the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) to investigate the use of microRNAs as biomarkers of neurodegeneration.
"In this study we will specifically focus on evaluating associations between changes in the plasma levels of microRNAs enriched in the specific brain regions affected by the disease and other known [Alzheimer's disease] markers," DiamiR CSO Samuil Umansky said in a statement. "We expect that, ultimately, a combination of biomarkers, including genetic, epigenetic, and proteomic markers, will be used by clinicians to tackle heterogeneity of neurodegenerative diseases and to provide the most accurate diagnosis."
The grant, DiamiR said, was awarded through the ADDF's Diagnostic Accelerator, a partnership between the charity and various philanthropic partners including Bill Gates.
Earlier this year, the Monmouth Junction, New Jersey-based company received $345,000 in new grant funding from the National Institute on Aging to develop a miRNA-based test for early-stage Alzheimer's disease.