Prioritizing diagnostics and therapeutics of human prion diseases through integrative omics

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a deadly brain disorder with an annual worldwide incidence of 1 to 2 cases per million people. Despite a reasonable understanding of the underlying molecular mechanism of the disease, effective treatments are lacking, and there are no methods for diagnosis before disease symptoms appear. To address this issue, PRIONOMICS brings together a team of experts in prion research, neuropathology, omics, biomarker development, and bioinformatics from seven countries.

Objective

The aim of PRIONOMICS is to use unique and already collected data from CJD patients, along with existing and new measurements of RNA and proteins, to find markers for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as drug targets, using smart methods from bioinformatics.

Approach

This interdisciplinary team will use unique and already collected data from CJD patients, along with existing and new measurements of RNA and proteins, to find markers for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as drug targets, using smart methods from bioinformatics.

Expected Results

PRIONOMICS expects to identify biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of CJD, as well as drug targets, which may lead to more effective treatments and early detection methods for this deadly disease.