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http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2002/11/04/daily4.html

MIND Institute, tech firm pursue new test for autism

The UC Davis MIND Institute of Sacramento is launching a new study to identify diagnostic markers for children likely to develop autism, the University of California Davis Health System announced.

The new work responds to a 1999 groundbreaking study that found elevated peptides in children with either autism or mental retardation.

"The 1999 study proved to us that finding a biomarker is possible, and it is a top priority for the MIND Institute to identify it," said David G. Amaral, research director of the institute and principal investigator of the new study, in a press release.

To do this research, the MIND Institute has reached an agreement with the SurroMed Inc. of Mountain View to analyze clinical samples from about 105 children -- about 70 with autism and the rest with typical development.

Using SurroMed's technology for profiling and analyzing thousands of immune cell populations, proteins and low-molecular-weight organic molecules, such as sugars, peptides or lipids, in small volumes of blood and/or other biological samples, SurroMed and the MIND Institute will be able to identify any unique properties present in the blood chemistry of children with autism.

The results of these studies should be a major step toward the development of diagnostic tests.

"Although this is a relatively small study, it is the most comprehensive analysis for biological markers of autism conducted to date, monitoring more biological variables than ever before," Amaral said.

Results from this current study are expected by December 2003. If the results are promising, the institute would negotiate with SurroMed to transfer the entire research platform to the institute to better accommodate the analysis of larger numbers of children.

The MIND Institute was founded in 1998 as an interdisciplinary organization of parents, community leaders, researchers, clinicians and volunteers to study and treat autism, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
© 2002 American City Business Journals Inc.

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