JPT collaborating with IMI to develop diagnostic test for CFS

The two companies wish to identify serological markers to be used as a diagnostic test for CFS.

JPT Peptide Technologies has signed a collaborative agreement with the Institute for Medical Immunology in Berlin that will see the two companies work together on the development of serological peptide markers for use in the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

CFS is a complex disorder with symptoms affecting several of the body's systems. However, it is difficult to diagnose with no definitive test available. Instead, GPs currently diagnose it through process of elimination.
Through the partnership, both companies hope to combine the expertise available at the Charite Clinics for Immune Deficiencies in Berlin with JPT's high-content peptide microarray in order to identify seromarkers that can be used as the basis of a diagnostic testing system for the condition.

Professor Carmen Scheibenbogen, project team head at the Charite, said: "Our previous and ongoing research at the Institute for Medical Immunology indicates a chronic activation of the immune system for a portion of our CFS patients.

"Preliminary results using JPT's peptide microarray technology let us hope to find distinct serological markers that allow better diagnosis and treatment of CFS patients in the future."