Center For Technology Commercialization

Gene Expression Signature Profiles for Stable and Acute Asthma

(CHMC Ref. Id: 2005-0601)

Overview:

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and has a genetic component. Microassay technology has been used to identify gene profiles associated with asthma but were limited to adults and to RNA derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Because asthma most often begins in childhood, genes identified in adults may not represent genes important for asthma development.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's have applied microassay technology to childhood asthma to identify unique gene profile signatures associated with childhood stable and exacerbated asthma. Using RNA prepared from nasal epithelial cells, they were able to identify distinct gene clusters comprising 314 genes in exacerbated asthma and 166 genes in stable asthma. Many of the genes associated with exacerbated asthma overlap with the genes associated with stable asthma. This information is useful for asthma diagnosis, evaluation of status and treatment response, and design of prophylaxis and therapy.

Applications:

• Asthma diagnostic
• Evaluation of asthma status
• Evauation of asthma tretatment response
• Design of prophylaxis and therapy of asthma

Advantages:

• Distinguishes patients without asthma, patients with stable asthma, and patients with exacerbated asthma
• Provides a non-invasive method for diagnosing and evaluating asthma

Patent Information:

• Patent Issued (US 7,919,240)

Cincinnati Children's Lead Inventor:

Gurjit Hershey, M.D., PhD