The newly published MS data follows earlier work that demonstrated the ability of Chronix's serum DNA-based assays to diagnose mad cow disease and chronic wasting disease in live animals, conditions that until now could only be diagnosed using post-mortem biopsies. These successful studies in three neurological disorders suggest that when specialized nerve cells die, they leave behind unique DNA fingerprints characteristic of the cell of origin. Chronix researchers have figured out how to identify and apply these unique fingerprints to diagnose disease and monitor disease activity.

"These positive data further support the Chronix approach to detecting and monitoring diseases, including neurologic diseases such as MS," said Howard Urnovitz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Chronix. "We are now preparing to offer laboratory testing services to support clinical trials for new neurologic drugs, initially focusing on MS and expanding to diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease and autism. Eventually we intend to offer testing services that will allow physicians to monitor ongoing disease status and response to treatment in their patients with MS and other chronic neurological conditions."

A publication in Molecular Cancer Research in March demonstrated the potential utility of the Chronix serum DNA assays in breast cancer. The findings demonstrated that the Chronix approach was able to detect invasive breast cancer with high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, even at the earliest stage when tumors are very small.

Source Chronix Biomedical