Genes Involved in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Identified

Genes involved in inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease, have been identified.

Prometheus Laboratories Inc., (San Diego, CA, USA) a specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office related to genetic testing for inflammatory bowel disease. The patent covers genes useful in the detection of inflammatory diseases, including NOD2 (also known as CARD15) gene mutations, which are associated with susceptibility to Crohn's disease. Prometheus has exclusive, worldwide rights to the methodology for identifying NOD2 gene mutations under an agreement with Fondation Jean Dausset - Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH; Paris, France).

Crohn's disease is a chronic disorder that causes inflammation of the digestive or gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of the disease include diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and rectal bleeding. Crohn's disease is expensive to treat because many patients may require long-term medical care, including multiple hospitalizations, surgeries, and expensive therapeutics. Crohn's disease is estimated to affect between 400,000 and 600,000 individuals in North America.

"NOD2 gene mutations have been demonstrated to play an important role in the development of Crohn's disease, an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract that can lead to a variety of symptoms and often takes years to diagnose," said Henry Pan, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific and medical officer of Prometheus. "This patent provides important protection for us as we continue to develop innovative products to help physicians diagnose and treat gastrointestinal diseases through individualized patient care."

Prometheus Laboratories develops and commercializes diagnostic and pharmaceutical products to help physicians treat individual patients. The company applies the principles of personalized medicine to the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and is applying these principles to oncology.

Related Links:
Prometheus Laboratories Inc.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Fondation Jean Dausset - Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain