Business Opportunity
The Antibody Lab has worldwide exclusive rights to use NT-proCNP as a marker for diagnosis of sepsis.
We are seeking a marketing partner for our sepsis diagnosis assays for companion animals.
Social and Medical Value
Cases of severe sepsis are expected to rise in the future due to the increased awareness and sensitivity for the diagnosis, number of immuno-compromised patients, use of invasive procedures, number of resistant microorganisms, and the growth in the senior canine and feline population. Currently, severe sepsis has a 50% mortality rate in companion animals.
Biomarker measurements may differentiate between viral and bacterial infections (with systemic manifestations) and assist in limiting antibiotic use in both human and veterinary medicine. A species-specific NT-proCNP assay may help clinicians and veterinarians in assessing the severity of infection, the prognosis of disease, and assessing the response to therapeutic measures.
Sepsis in companion animals
Sepsis is defined as the systemic inflammatory response to infection. It is associated with substantial morbidity in dog. Differentiating between sepsis and non-infectious forms of systemic inflammatory response (NSIRS) is a diagnostic challenge in pets because the clinical presentation can be indistinguishable.
NT-proCNP
C–type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a paracrine growth factor widely expressed in tissues, including the vascular endothelium, where it is considered to provide vasoprotective functions. In addition, CNP, a vasodepressor, promotes bloodflow via vasodilation and angiogenesis. CNP itself is rapidly degraded in tissues, and negligible quantities enter the circulation; however, an inactive portion of the pro-hormone aminoterminal proCNP (NT-proCNP) is not degraded at source, circulates in plasma, and can be used as a marker of CNP synthesis in tissues.
Sepsis and NT-proCNP
C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is expressed primarily by the vascular endothelium and macrophages in response to several stimuli, including inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1β, and transforming growth factor-β, that are known to be important in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Microbial products including lipopolysaccharide directly stimulate CNP production in cell culture. Serum N-terminal pro-C-natriuretic peptide (NT-proCNP) concentration at hospital admission has sufficient sensitivity and specificity to differentiate naturally occurring sepsis from nonseptic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).
Assays for NT-proCNP
The Antibody Lab has developed a CE-marked ELISA to measure levels of NT-proCNP in serum or plasma (marketed by Biomedica).
A Lateral Flow Assay Device to test NTproCNP is available for licensing.
Reference
DeClue, A.E. , Osterbur, K., Bigio, A. & Sharp, C. R. Evaluation of serum NT-pCNP as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for sepsis in dogs. J. Vet. Int. Med. 25, 453-459 (2011).