OGI will assist Amorfix in accelerating its program for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases drawing on OGI’s portfolio of state-of-the-art genomics and proteomics facilities.
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with an accumulation of protein aggregates, called amyloid, in the brain.
Recent research has suggested that these amyloid aggregates result from aggregation of misfolded A-beta protein fragments. A-beta is present in blood and the company believes aggregates are also present in the circulation in Alzheimer’s patients.
“Until now, it has been very difficult to detect aggregated misfolded proteins in blood where normal protein is prevalent. With our progress on the Epitope protection platform, we are now in a position to finish our development of a test for Alzheimer’s A-beta aggregates in blood,” said Dr Neil Cashman, Amorfix’s CSO.