Tuesday, March, 19, 2024 06:31:00
  • The research study would see the two companies collaborating with the University Pittsburgh Medical Center. 
  • The research study would be enrolling more than 500 patients with multiple sclerosis in its first phase.

DNAnexus Inc., an American cloud-based data management & genome informatics firm, has reportedly partnered with California-based healthcare company, Sutter Health to launch a multiple sclerosis research study.

Reports cite, the proposed research study would see the two companies collaborating with the University Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The research study would be enrolling more than 500 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in first phase.

According to a press release by DNAnexus Inc., under the collaboration, scientists working at Sutter Health Center for Precision Medicine would be facilitating clinico-genomic de-identified datasets from over 3000 multiple sclerosis patients to DNAnexus’ Apollo Platform. This would be enabling virtualization, quick analysis and collaboration in a secure environment which follows strict patient-confidentiality requirements.

Meanwhile, the Genome Center located at the UPMC would be responsible for generating clinical-grade genomic data using the samples that would be provided by the participants of the research study.

Following the enrollment of the 500 MS patients, the group would be collecting patient-reported outcomes, electronic health record information, blood samples, imaging data as well as the whole-exome sequencing datasets that would be generated at the UPMC.

The bioinformaticians at DNAnexus would then process the WES data using analysis pipelines and then link the outcome with the clinical information that is present on Apollo. Following this, the researchers, clinicians and collaborators at Sutter would use the platform as a way of examining the MS patients’ genomic & clinical features which corelate with MS subtypes, staging, disability progression, MRI changes & differential responses to therapies.

The Director of Center for Precision Medicine at Sutter, Gregory Tranah stated that the study is a crucial step in advancing precision medicine efforts to enhance treatments for MS patients in the community and the millions that are suffering from this disease worldwide.

According to reports, the first phase enrollment process is set to begin next month.