Quadrant Biosciences, Syracuse, NY, developer of epigenetic diagnostic technologies, says it will use a new $330,000 grant to perform whole-exome sequencing of 1,000 children participating in a study on autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The new outlay from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supplements a $2 million Phase II grant previously awarded by NIH. Researchers expect that the study’s detailed information about the protein-coding regions of the genome will help them to identify precise biomarkers that will improve diagnosis, clinical care, and outcomes for individuals with ASD.
According to Quadrant, approximately 1 in 59 American children are currently diagnosed with ASD—a 10-fold increase in prevalence over the past 40 years.
The Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from NIH was awarded for the refinement and commercialization of an epigenetic ASD diagnostic test based on results generated during Phase I of the grant. Phase II expanded enrollment to five different academic medical center locations around the United States, and involved the recruitment of 1,000 children.
While the Phase I and Phase II studies focused on noncoding and microbial transcripts found in saliva, the supplemental grant will support exploration of parts of the human genome that code for proteins. Variations in the coding regions of the genome can affect the expression of certain regulatory molecules interrogated during the Phase I and Phase II research. Such variations may also help identify differences based on population ancestry.
For further information, visit Quadrant Biosciences.
