Researchers at the LUMC have received a grant of approximately $700,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research into biomarkers in Duchenne’s disease.
Despite the knowledge about the gene that causes Duchenne disease, current treatment options are limited. A number of clinical studies have failed in part due to a lack of correctly assessing changes in disease course following an intervention. With its long history of research into Duchenne, the LUMC therefore coordinates leading clinical and preclinical studies to address precisely this issue.
The project entitled ‘Biomarker Signatures for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy’ aims to identify protein biomarkers in the blood of patients. The researchers want to determine whether these biomarkers can be used to monitor the course of the disease. It is a multidisciplinary study that will be coordinated by the Department of Human Genetics. Samples obtained from clinical studies will be analyzed at the departments of Human Genetics and Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. The Department of Medical Statistics will be involved in the development of new methods to determine the predictive power of biomarkers in the long term.
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LUMC