Background

The diagnosis of oxidative stress related disorders plays a critical role in developing therapeutic options for the treatment of these diseases, including autism. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is the major brain lipid and the parent molecule for a large number of intracellular and extracellular messengers. Oxidation of DHA gives rise to a series of non-enzymatically produced analogs of the enzymatically derived products (neuroprostanes and isoprostanes), biomarkers of oxidative stress. As such, monitoring the metabolism of DHA or by administering DHA can lead to identification and treatment of these disorders. In the case of autism, there is an unresolved issue that involves deciding how to sub-divide the various forms of autism based on biochemical markers rather than clinical observations. Therefore, there is a significant unmet need to be able to track the appearance or disappearance of the non-enzymatically produced products of the oxidation of DHA, and to be able to provide for a missing analog of similar enzymatically produced analogs to prevent or treat the effects of oxidative stress.

Technology

The technology disclosed relates to the diagnosis and treatment of oxidative stress related disorders by assessing the amount of DHA and its metabolites in urine or blood and the kits to carry out the diagnosis. This method involves collecting a sample of urine; determining the level of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) metabolites selected from the group consisting of neuroprostanes and resolvins present in the urine; and normalizing the level of PUFA metabolites present in the urine to urinary creatinine such that a normalized level of PUFA metabolites above a predetermined amount is indicative of an oxidative stress related disorder. The determination of urinary biomarkers was performed using commercially available ELISA kits. Creatinine was measured by the picric acid method as modified for a microplate reader using a kit. While this technology can be used to diagnose various disorders, autism is the focus of this diagnosis method. The easy implementation and specificity make this an attractive technology with the potential to broaden the range of diagnosing and treatment of various oxidative stress disorders.

Application & Opportunity

The disclosed technology may be used in the diagnosis and treatment of various oxidative stress disorders including autism, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, Huntington's disease, atherosclerosis, renal transplant dysfunction, diabetes, newborn retinopathy, neuro-developmental disorders, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), arthritis, and periodontal disease. Furthermore, the global oxidative stress detection market is expected to grow at a rapid pace and will post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 9% from 2016-2020. Rowan University is looking for a partner for further development and commercialization of this technology through a license.