San Diego, CA (PRWEB) July 03, 2012

The scientific discoveries that led to the founding of the science driven molecular diagnostics company NexDx, Inc. (http://www.nexdx.com) in 2011 in San Diego are published in the current online edition of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (http://bit.ly/QOZ8Zr), one of the highest impact peer reviewed scientific and medical journals, with the highest Impact Factor in the rheumatology category.

The new research, conducted by Gary S. Firestein, M.D., and colleagues at UC San Diego School of Medicine, is the first study to uncover a striking pattern of aberrant modifications in the DNA of the inflammation-producing cells, referred to as fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), lining the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The DNA modifications that Dr. Firesteins lab discovered in RA patients cells are caused by an epigenetic mechanism known as methylation. Epigenetics refers to the modifications to an individuals unique DNA that influence the expression, or activity, of his/her genes without altering the order or sequence of the original DNA.

Dr. Firestein, an internationally recognized rheumatologist and Professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at UC San Diego, and his team identified and then compared the DNA methylation profiles of the FLS of patients with RA, individuals with osteoarthritis (OA), which unlike RA is not an inflammatory or autoimmune disease, and individuals not affected by either disease.

RAs DNA methylation pattern was found to be novel and to involve 207 genes, many of which play key roles in inflammation, regulation of the matrix that supports cells, and recruitment of leukocytes, which are key cells of the immune system.

Dr. Firestein and his colleagues also determined that a genes methylation state whether it was hypo or hyper-methylated correlated with its actual expression or activity in RA cells.

The DNA modifications that are unique to RA are potential biomarkers for a blood-based test to diagnose the disease early when it can be most effectively treated, said Jonathan Lim, M.D., chairman and CEO of NexDx.

Drs. Lim and Firestein co-founded NexDx in August 2011. In April 2012, NexDx announced that it had signed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with UC San Diego to develop and commercialize Dr. Firesteins discoveries.

In addition to developing a diagnostic test, NexDx is investigating the aberrant DNA methylation signatures to determine the optimal therapy and discover novel drug targets for biopharmaceutical company partners.

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