Summary:
Sixty to seventy percent of diabetes patients suffer from the nerve disorder diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), which causes pain, tingling, numbness in extremities and can lead to devastating (complications such as falls, amputations, muscle weakness, unsteady gait and foot ulcers. Current diagnostic methods for neuropathy are silent during the early stages of the disease and detect demyelination at a relatively advanced stage. Early detection allows for better disease management through optimal intervention and lifestyle changes; and has the potential to to slow or prevent long term nerve damage.
Rutgers researcher, Dr. Nizar Souayah has developed a novel strategy to identify demyelination in diabetic neuropathy of DPN in at-risk individuals and in those with prediabetes (PD) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) in early stages. The invention uses a combination of regression analysis of electrodiagnostic data and a urine biological marker of inflammation to identify a subgroup of diabetic distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) with significant contribution of demyelination and neuroinflammation in diabetic nerve injury.
Advantages:
- Potential to impact the health care of millions of patients with diabetic neuropathy.
- Early diagnosis enables immunotherapy or other therapies at an early stage slowing or preventing of DPN.
- Applicable to other forms of neuropathy such as those caused by chemotherapy.
Market Applications:
- Diagnostic and At-home Testing
- Clinical Trials (to help identify patients to be included)
- Digital Health
- Medical Devices
Intellectual Property & Development Status:
The technology is patent pending and is currently available for research collaboration and/or licensing.
