Gene Expression Profiles in Blood Diagnosed Mental Illness

Four unique and statistically significantly different (p< 0.001) diagnostic gene expression profiles were identified in blood samples from schizophrenia/bipolar disorder patients.

The gene expression profiles of 115 schizophrenia/bipolar disorder patients and matched controls were analyzed. The result of this analysis showed that each patient/control was a member of only one of four subgroups and each subgroup was associated with a unique and finite number of genes. The genes identified in each subgroup include known and novel drug targets and biomarkers, and the specificity and sensitivity of a potential blood diagnostic test are being determined.

These results in blood are in line with the results from two separate Curidium (London, UK) brain studies using the company's tool Homomatrix. Homomatrix is a fully automated analysis tool that uses proprietary pattern recognition tools and sequences of mathematic algorithms together with statistical methods to objectively analyze large sets of gene expression and biological data from heterogeneous populations. These analyses can potentially lead to the development of diagnostics that identify treatment-responsive patients and/or patient subgroups, signaling pathways as well as drug targets.

Curidium's Homomatrix, which uses gene expression analysis as a tool to identifying new drug targets and treatments, is a very powerful approach, said Professor David A. Collier, Ph.D. of The Institute of Psychiatry, King's College (London, UK). The company's novel approach of using systematic expression data analysis to identify biologic patterns, which occur in brain and in accessible tissues such as blood, is likely to provide clinicians with valuable decision-making and diagnostic tools as well as new targets for pharmaceutical development.

It is very encouraging that the Homomatrix analyses remain so consistent and reproducible in our examination of the expression profiles from the brains and blood of schizophrenic and bipolar disorder patients, stated Dr. Anne Bruinvels, CEO of Curidium Medica. Initial data indicate that the potential blood diagnostic will achieve the necessary regulatory criteria to become a valuable tool in clinical drug development and in the market place potentially as a companion diagnostic.

Curidium is a company focused on identifying targeted medicines to treat patients more effectively. Through the application of its proprietary technology, Homomatrix, Curidium analyzes biologic data (mRNA/protein data) from patients suffering from complex or multi-factorial diseases. Patient populations with complex disorders are known to be heterogeneous and only certain sub-groups of patients respond to a specific treatment.


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