These collaborations will utilize ParAllele’s application-specific single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping panel that is being commercialized as part of an existing development partnership with Affymetrix. The new panel will cover about 8,000 SNPs from over 1,000 candidate genes related to the genetics of immunity and inflammation and is suitable for studies in multiple ethnic populations.
Researchers will conduct large-scale genetic studies in two important areas: identifying the genes responsible for autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and collecting information on individual susceptibility to infectious disease or patient response to immunization.
The collaboration with USC focuses on discovering the genes associated with lupus, while the Baylor collaboration is one of the first to measure the genetic basis of patient response to the flu vaccine.