1. Mosaiques Diagnostics GmbH
Within the scope of UroSysteomics Mosaiques Diagnostics will employ a proteomic approach utilizing their proprietary CE-MS technology (proteomics) together with sample preparation procedures and software solutions to analyze urinary polypeptide patterns of patients afflicted with prostate /bladder carcinoma and diabetic nephropathy respectively. Distinct polypeptide patterns will subsequently lead to the identification and characterisation of specific biomarkers for early diagnosis. The information gained will be used to classify the prospectively collected “healthy individuals at risk” (e.g. older, maybe hypertonic, episodes of microalbuminuria or hematurie, slightly elevated PSA, etc…), which will be followed and cross referenced using conventional diagnostic means. In addition MD will provide urine and plasma samples from patients with a variety of renal and argental diseases. A collection of > 5000 samples together with the clinical history is available for this project.
2. Biocrates Life Science GmbH
Within the proposed consortium, BIOCRATES Life Science GmbH offers medium to high throughput analyses of metabolites as a functional read-out tool to reveal changes in metabolism with the objectives to study and explain their role in chronic urologic disorders, and to discover novel sensitive and specific multivariate biomarker candidates for early detection and differential diagnosis of diabetic nephropathy and bladder carcinoma. The urine and tissue samples will be screened for quantitative metabolic profiles, and identified marker signatures will be correlated with the patient and clinical data. In addition, the markers will be integrated with the gene and protein expression data. Additionally the project will include specific method development and optimization focused on metabolites involved in the energy metabolism.
3. RD Néphrologie
The participation by RD Néphrologie in the project will focus on the genetic and genomic analysis of prostate carcinoma. To elucidate its pathogenesis an in-depth analysis of chromosomal aberrations and gene disturbances will be performed using a combined classical / molecular cytogenetics and transcriptomics approach. To obtain novel prognostic markers as well as markers of the clinical evolution karyotyping as well as fluorescence in situ hybridization, comparative genomic hybridization analysis (CGH) and CGH array analysis will be applied.
4. Progenika Biopharma SA
Within the proposed consortium, Progenika Biopharma is going to apply its expertise in gene expression microarray technology, in particular its over-5-year experience with the Affymetrix GeneChip platform to the identification of transcripts differentially expressed in prostate cancer, bladder cancer and diabetic nephropathy. The goal is to actively seek new disease associated genes and gene expression profiles that can then be exploited as the basis of new diagnostics based on customised DNA and protein microarrays and thus permitting the early diagnosis / prognosis of potentially debilitating conditions.
5.. Academic partner | ► Université Montpellier
The following mayor integral aspects of UroSysteomics will predominantly be complied with by the scientific partners: The conceptual scheme and set up of a clinical protocol design, the sample and control collection (tumour tissue, whole blood, plasma, serum, urine). Furthermore the scientific partners will actively participate in the process of qualitative and quantitative analysis of genome, transcriptome, metabolome and proteome data and they are indispensable to cover all clinical aspects (medical history data, patient-related clinical information, medical validation) and correlate the novel biomarker candidates with corresponding anatomoclinical data as well as to conduct secondary diagnosis.
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