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Toscana Biomarkers è un'azienda strat-up residente all'interno del bio-incubator della Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences 
 
 
Azienda Spin-off dell'Università di Pisa
 
Toscana Biomarkers Srl
Via Fiorentina 1
I-53100 Siena, Italy
Phone: +39 0577 231271/2
Fax: +39 0577 274107
Capitale Sociale euro 100.000,00 i.v.
Registro d'impresa di Siena, C.F.
e P.IVA 02042930970
R.E.A. Siena 128830
info@toscanabiomarkers.com

 

MS

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. The pathogenesis of MS has not been yet elucidated, but an autoimmune response against myelin antigens is thought to contribute to the immunopathological mechanisms of the disease. Even if the target antigens responsible for this inflammatory and demyelinating disease remain elusive, different myelin proteins have been investigated as potential targets for T or B cells in MS (1).

In previous studies N-glucosylation has been characterized as one of the possible post-translational modification involved in MS pathogenesis and triggering an autoantibody response (2-4). The researchers of the Laboratory of Peptide and Protein Chemistry and Biology (PeptLab), promoters of Toscana Biomarkers, demonstrated for the first time, the ability of glucosylated peptides to efficiently detect biomarkers in a statistically significant number of MS patients (5). These results guided PeptLab to the development of a diagnostic/prognostic immunoassay for MS (6).

Toscana Biomarkers in cooperation with PeptLab is working on the identification of new specific and selective biomarkers for MS diagnosis and prognosis.

References
1) Alcaro M.C. and Papini A.M., Biopolymers (Peptide Science) 84, 349-367 (2006).
2) Lolli F. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102, 10273-10278 (2005).
3) Mazzucco S. et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 9, 167-172 (1999).
4) Carotenuto A. et al., J. Med. Chem. 49, 5072-5079 (2006).
5) Lolli F. et al., J. Neuroimmunol. 167, 131-137 (2005).
6) PCT WO 2003/000733