Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Our Department collaborated with Oxford BioDynamics and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterised by muscle weakness and eventual paralysis. There is currently no definitive, clinically validated measure to identify ALS. Doctors perform a series of exclusion tests which often leads to a significant delay in diagnosis, averaging one year from the onset of symptoms. 

We are pleased that through our collaboration with leading world experts and institutions, we have successfully developed blood-based epigenetic biomarkers that have the potential to be used as a rapid and effective diagnostic test for this disease. We believe it will make an important contribution both to patient care and to therapeutic development.
Dr Alexandre Akoulitchev, Chief Scientific Officer of Oxford BioDynamics

Researchers from the Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre in our Department have been involved in a study with biotechnology company Oxford BioDynamics (OBD). The team used OBD's EpiSwitch™ platform to compare the genomic architecture of healthy and ALS patient samples to discover an epigenetic biomarker, called a chromosomal conformation signature (CCS), with diagnostic potential in ALS.

The study successfully yielded a distinct CCS biomarker that was diagnostic for ALS, demonstrating a highly promising, potential new approach to the diagnosis of this disease.

Read the full paper here

 

Similar stories

European Platform for Neurodegenerative Diseases launches repository of cohorts for researchers

The new Cohort Catalogue will facilitate discovery of over 60 neurodegeneration research cohorts from 17 countries across Europe

Two NDCN students join BNA Scholars Programme

The British Neuroscience Association Scholars Programme was launched in 2021 with a view to improving equality, diversity and inclusion in neuroscience.

Researchers win UK Dementia Research Institute Grand Challenge Award to identify early signs of Alzheimer's

The MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit has received funding for a multi-year research partnership designed to advance the understanding of early changes to the operations of brain circuits in Alzheimer's disease.

Ophthalmology Conference in Kyiv

On 21 February, Robert MacLaren organised a one-day ophthalmology conference in Kyiv together with Dr Andrii Ruban, President of the Ukrainian Vitreoretinal Society.

Ashmolean turns red for World Encephalitis Day

Our researchers are tackling the devastating brain condition encephalitis.

Bioelectronic implant offers an intelligent therapy to treat incontinence

The first participants in a clinical trial of a bioelectrical therapy to treat incontinence have received their 'smart' bioelectronic implants.