University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a novel gene therapy for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Description
Traumatic injury is an $600 billion industry and of the 3 million hospitalizations, sadly, nearly 200,000 lead to death. A major cause of morbidity and mortality of these trauma victims is immune dysfunction. Scientists from the University of Pittsburgh have created a platform for the rapid stratification of trauma patients, which should lead to improved outcomes. The platform consists of a point of care (POC) biomarker assay which can be rapidly assessed within 60¬–90 minutes, with the results fed into a software tool that uses statistical and computer modeling to predict the likely outcome and optimum treatment for an individual. This platform was developed using a large cohort of 376 trauma patients and led to the identification of key markers which can be further adapted with a feedback loop from future patients and their outcomes.
Applications
• Intensive care treatment
• Interventional trials
• Drug trialing and optimizing
Advantages
Currently, traumatic injuries initiate intricate immuno-inflammatory processes that play a role in the development of multiple organ dysfunction. Early interventional trials have faced many challenges, primarily due to the absence of substantial clinical endpoints. The platform pipeline relies on blood sampling, which is already a routine POC assessment. This platform will use data from the biomarker assay to rapidly stratify patients into predicted clinical outcomes, leading to improved prognosis and a more efficient treatment plan.
Invention Readiness
In vivo assessment has been carried out with a larger granular cohort of 376 patients of similar age and injury scores, and compared to an independent validation cohort, demonstrating the biomarker panel is effective and would improve patient stratification for care.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220215963A1