Priogen’s portfolio of technologies and services provides unprecedented options for the monitoring and management of chronic debilitating diseases.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, July 12, 2023 /EIN Presswire.com/— Priogen Inc., a company specializing in next-generation prion diagnostic services and technologies, today announced that it has successfully entered into a licensing agreement with the University of Minnesota. The agreement expands Priogen’s diversified technology portfolio to include portable diagnostic platforms and environmental monitoring options for prions and protein misfolding diseases. Priogen’s flagship service offers a new generation of advanced testing options for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), a fatal prion disease of deer, moose, caribou and moose that is widespread in North America and Scandinavia.
CWD is caused by infectious proteins called prions that are transmitted by both direct (animal-to-animal) and indirect (environment-to-animal) routes. Infected animals release prions into the environment, which can persist for years, contributing to the spread of the disease and significantly complicating control efforts. Studies have shown that even plants can take up infectious CWD prions. In 2018, these findings prompted the Norwegian government to ban the import of hay and straw from CWD-positive areas. Meanwhile, there is growing concern in the scientific community that CWD prions could infect humans, similar to the infectious bovine prions that cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow disease.” ing.
“The growth of CWD in the US and Canada over the past decade has been striking,” said Dr. Peter Larsen, CEO, CSO and co-founder of Priogen. Areas not yet identified due to existing diagnostic limitations. We must act urgently to protect animal and human health, protect the environment and preserve the thousands of years of hunting traditions. This is the mission of Priogen. We are bringing new services and tools to the market to help stabilize the affected economy and fight CWD. ”
Priogen’s flagship service offers new CWD testing options to a variety of customers, including the general public, deer producers, academic researchers, state, local, tribal and federal agencies.Company’s PrioSense product family It consists of a mail-in kit for rapid tissue testing, which now includes the world’s first muscle testing service.
“The continued prevalence of CWD in cervids means that more hunters and their families are likely to face potential exposure to the causative prion pathogen. Increased exposure to these CWD prions, which may exist in the form of unique strains, has created a critical need for accessible and innovative diagnostic tools to help reduce potential risks. Emphasize.” Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota.
Expected to begin in Q3 2023, live animal testing will be delivered through a powerful multi-sample approach that is minimally invasive, highly reproducible and highly accurate. The company also offers a unique swarm-level monitoring option through its PrioSwab sentinel technology, opening the door to real-time detection that facilitates more proactive management solutions.
Priogen’s portfolio includes several new portable diagnostic technologies that deliver rapid results with excellent diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. In 2021, the founding team became the first to detect CWD in the field environment using a proprietary gold nanoparticle test MN-QuIC. “We’ve put ultra-sensitive protein diagnostics into a small, portable platform,” says Larsen. “Our prototype delivered accurate results within hours and identified a clear path to his CWD testing on the deer side. Beyond CWD, our vision is to develop these next-generation protein assays. to extend it to various neurodegenerative diseases in humans.”
“The University of Minnesota has the breadth and depth of expertise to form effective multidisciplinary teams like the one led by Dr. Larsen. We have helped launch 235 startups like Priogen,” said Dr. Shashank Priya, Vice President for Research at the University of Minnesota. “We are proud of advances in prion diagnostics that can inform and improve wildlife management strategies against diseases like #UMN chronic wasting disease. It’s a great demonstration of how we can address complex issues affecting our environment and environment.”
About Priogen Corp: Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Priogen is a diagnostic company that specializes in the ultrasensitive detection of prions and pathogenic proteins associated with protein misfolding diseases in wildlife, domestic animals and humans. Please contact Priogen if you are interested in our CWD testing services or technology. If you would like to learn more about the company, please visit:
