The collaboration provides Pfizer with access to ChondroGene's unique database of osteoarthritis tissue-specific clinical and gene expression information to identify potential novel therapeutic targets for OA. The agreement with Pfizer will also allow ChondroGene to accelerate its ongoing OA biomarker research program. Development of new biomarkers is essential for the early diagnosis of OA as well as for validating the effectiveness of potential disease-modifying therapies for OA. The two-year collaboration is valued at up to US$7.35 million, compared to US$4.7 million for the initial collaboration.

"We are pleased with the progress made in our initial collaboration and look forward to continuing our relationship with Pfizer in this second agreement," stated Dr. K. Wayne Marshall, President and CEO of ChondroGene Limited. "We are fortunate to have the world's largest pharmaceutical company as a partner and are excited to be working together to develop novel biomarkers for osteoarthritis, an epidemic disease that places a crippling burden on patients, their families and healthcare resources."

chondrogene

Although they fell short of meeting criteria for major depression, the three control group carriers also had family histories of psychiatric problems and experienced mild depression and anxiety symptoms. This points up the complexity of these disorders, say the researchers. For example, major depression is thought to be 40-70 percent heritable, but likely involves an interaction of several genes with environmental events. Previous studies have linked depression with the same region of chromosome 12 where the tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene is located. Whether the absence of the mutation among 60 patients with bipolar disorder proves to be evidence of a different underlying biology remains to be investigated in future studies.

The researchers say their finding provides a potential molecular mechanism for aberrant serotonin function in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Also participating in the study were: Raul Gainetdinov, Jean-Marin Beaulieu, Tatyana Sotnikova, Lauranell Burch, Redford Williams, David Schwartz, and Ranga Krishnan, Duke University.

In addition to grants from NIMH and NHLBI, the study was also funded by the Human Frontiers Science Program and the Canadian Institute of Health Research.

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