Assays for Chondrogenesis
Tech ID: 06-93-95
This technology comprises assays for
osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the articulating cartilage of joints.
Background
Osteoarthritis affects approximately 30 million adults in the United States and
is the most common arthritis of middle-age. The cause of osteoarthritis
is unknown; however, the risk of developing osteoarthritis is increased in
people who are obese, are athletes, or who have rheumatoid arthritis.
Osteoarthritis is characterized by
the massive destruction of cartilage in the weight-bearing joints, particularly
the hands, hips, knees and big toes. Current methods of managing
osteoarthritis are limited to advanced stages of the disease, when patients
experience joint pain and swelling. Anti-inflammatory agents and
analgesics, the present treatments for advanced osteoarthritis, do little to
slow its progression and may even hasten cartilage breakdown.
X-rays are the most common tool to
document late-stage degeneration of the articular cartilage. Detection of
osteoarthritis before widespread damage has occurred is clearly
desirable. In early-stage osteoarthritis, degeneration of articular
cartilage is accompanied by the synthesis of Type IIA collagen to form new
cartilage.
Thus, assays for Type IIA
procollagen mRNA and protein may provide the means of detecting and monitoring
early-stage osteoarthritis.
Advantages
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Detection of Type IIA collagen mRNA
and protein may allow early diagnosis of osteoarthritis and initiation of
treatment.
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Effectiveness of drug therapy may
be assessed by monitoring Type IIA procollagen levels.
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The tests for Type IIA procollagen
do not cross-react with Type IIB procollagen, the precursor of normal adult
articular cartilage.
Washington Research Foundation is
seeking qualified partners to develop and market diagnostic kits based on
either antibodies or nucleic acid probes to Type IIA procollagen. U.S. patents
# 5,541,066 and 5,780,240 claiming methods of detecting Type IIA procollagen
protein, propeptide or mRNA have issued.
For additional information, please
contact:
Beth Etscheid, Ph.D
Director of Licensing
Washington Research Foundation
2815 Eastlake Avenue E, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98102
Tel: 206.336.5600
Fax: 206.336.5615
betschei@wrfseattle.org
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