San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 03, 2012
The scientific discoveries that led to the founding of the science driven molecular diagnostics company NexDx, Inc. (http://www.nexdx.com) in 2011 in San Diego are published in the existing on the internet edition of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (http://bit.ly/QOZ8Zr), a single of the highest influence peer reviewed scientific and healthcare journals, with the highest Effect Issue in the rheumatology category.

The new research, performed by Gary S. Firestein, M.D., and colleagues at University of California at San Diego, is the initial study to uncover a striking pattern of aberrant modifications in the DNA of the inflammation-making cells, referred to as fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), lining the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The DNA modifications that Dr. Firesteins lab discovered in RA patients cells are brought on by an epigenetic mechanism known as methylation. Epigenetics refers to the modifications to an folks unique DNA that influence the expression, or activity, of his/her genes with no altering the order or sequence of the original DNA.

Dr. Firestein, an internationally recognized rheumatologist and Professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and his group identified and then compared the DNA methylation profiles of the FLS of sufferers with RA, men and women with osteoarthritis (OA), which in contrast to RA is not an inflammatory or autoimmune illness, and men and women not impacted by either disease.

RAs DNA methylation pattern was identified to be novel and to involve 207 genes, several of which play key roles in inflammation, regulation of the matrix that supports cells, and recruitment of leukocytes, which are crucial cells of the immune program.

Dr. Firestein and his colleagues also determined that a genes methylation state regardless of whether it was hypo or hyper-methylated correlated with its actual expression or activity in RA cells.

The DNA modifications that are unique to RA are prospective biomarkers for a blood-based test to diagnose the illness early when it can be most effectively treated, said Jonathan Lim, M.D., chairman and CEO of NexDx.

Drs. Lim and Firestein co-founded NexDx in August 2011. In April 2012, NexDx announced that it had signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with UC San Diego to create and commercialize Dr. Firesteins discoveries.

In addition to building a diagnostic test, NexDx is investigating the aberrant DNA methylation signatures to establish the optimal therapy and learn novel drug targets for biopharmaceutical company partners.

Extra contributors include Kazuhisa Nakano and David L Boyle, UCSD Division of Medicine and John W Whitaker and Wei Wang, UCSD Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Hyperlink to UC San Diego news release about the paper: http://bit.ly/KTW3Tw

ABOUT NEXDX, INC.
http://www.nexdx.com

NexDx, Inc., situated in San Diego, California, is a science driven molecular diagnostics organization supplying next generation merchandise and solutions for customized medicine in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune illnesses.

The firm, founded in August 2011 by Jonathan E. Lim, M.D. and Gary S. Firestein, M.D. (Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego), is a pioneer in the application of epigenomics and other next generation molecular approaches to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel biomarkers and tests for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in autoimmune illnesses.

On June 29, NexDx announced the effective closing of a $ 2.1 million Series B financing led by City Hill Ventures, LLC (http://www.cityhillventures.com/) and a $ 500,000 capital term loan from Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com/).

ABOUT RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

RA, which generally strikes among the ages of 30 and 50 years but also can afflict children, is the most typical chronic inflammatory joint illness with an estimated incidence of about 1 to 2% of the U.S. population, and a two to three times higher prevalence in women than in guys. The overall expenses associated with RA are estimated to exceed $ 30 billion annually in the U.S.

As opposed to osteoarthritis, RA is a systemic disease in which the body’s immune defense method attacks the thin layer of cells called the synovium that lines every joint. This abnormal immune response generates proteins that inflame physique tissues and additional damages cartilage and bone. The swollen joints and crippling stiffness, specifically of the hands and feet, can be painful as effectively as debilitating. In RA, the immune technique can also harm the heart, lungs and membranes that surround these organs.