To date, doctors and scientists have struggled in their search for a way to provide early detection of neurodegenerative disorders - with little success. However, a biotechnology company is doing its best to change that.
Power3 Medical (OTC BB:PWRM), a leader in proteomics research, has developed a promising Neurodegenerative Screening Test for Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) and Parkinson's disease.
Proteomics is the study and analysis of proteins, the fundamental building blocks of the human body. By studying proteins, scientists can understand more fully the functioning of a healthy body and identify the proteins associated with specific diseases.
Power3 believes this test will give doctors the ability to diagnose these diseases before the irreversible brain damage occurs - providing the opportunity to potentially delay their progression and design target drugs to treat the disease earlier.
During the recent clinical validation trials, blood serum samples of 183 patients were analyzed to distinguish between normal individuals and patients with neurodegenerative diseases at a level of 86 percent to 99 percent accuracy.
According to researcher Dr. Stan Appel, chairman of the Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine, a main problem to date is that there is a lack of biomarkers for the early diagnosis, prognosis and guidelines for therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
"With this test, which involves monitoring the concentration of nine proteins in the blood, we are able to identify unique biomarkers whose profiles appear to distinguish patients with Lou Gehrig's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases from each other as well as from normal patients and patients with other motor neuron and neurological disorders," said Dr. Ira L. Goldknopf, chief scientific officer of Power3 Medical.
Because the test can distinguish between Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS and other neurological diseases, it also would help reduce the chance of a patient being misdiagnosed.
Clinical validation trials for the Neurodegenerative Screening Test are continuing.
For more information, log on to www.power3medical.com. - NU |
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