The project will validate two minimally invasive biomarkers for ALS: MMP-9 and TIMP-1

LifeArc and the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) have partnered to identify, validate and develop new clinical tools for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neurone disease (MND) prognosis and drug development.

As part of LifeArc’s MND Translational Challenge, the project will run for two years and will focus on validating two minimally invasive biomarkers for ALS through the ALS Research Collaborative (ARC) study.

Affecting up to 5,000 adults in the UK, MND is a rare condition that affects the brain and nerves.

ALS, the most fatal form of MND, is a neurological disorder that affects the motor neurons and nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

Under the terms of the collaboration, LifeArc will have the exclusive option to further develop the project outputs.

Through its ARC study, the ALS TDI has obtained longitudinal serum and plasma samples from people living with ALS, which will be processed to assess the protein levels of two minimally invasive ALS biomarkers, MMP-9 and TIMP-1, along with 7,000 protein analytes.

With support from LifeArc’s data science team, the project aims to correlate the levels of these biomarkers with longitudinal and cross-sectional clinical data to develop the ELISA kit to be used in both clinical and research settings for prognosis and disease monitoring.

By analysing the protein levels from these two minimally invasive biomarkers of ALS, as well as other clinical data, the team will be able to determine the utility of MMP-9 and TIMP-1, as well as other protein analytes.

Dr Manuela Cerin, scientific director, neurodegeneration, LifeArc, commented: “Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for MND/ALS are a needed tool for patient care and would offer crucial insights for clinical research and drug development.”

Fernando Vieira, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer, ALS TDI, said: “By leveraging our extensive clinical data and biosample resources through the ARC study and combining them with LifeArc’s expertise in translational science and diagnostics, we aim to significantly advance our understanding of ALS prognosis and disease monitoring.”