Description

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare complication of pulmonary embolism (PE), characterized by its low frequency and underdiagnosis. The insidious nature of the disease and the absence of effective biomarkers make its early recognition difficult. Generally, the time to diagnosis of CTEPH ranges between 14-24 months from the onset of symptoms, causing a delay in the initiation of treatment, which has important implications for patient survival.

Despite the existence of previous studies describing the use of microRNAs (miRNAs) as an effective approach in the diagnosis of CTEPH, there is still a need to identify new miRNAs that can serve as early biomarkers for a faster, simpler and more reliable diagnosis of CTEPH.

In this context, our group has identified an alternative panel of miRNAs to the existing ones that allows not only the diagnosis of CTEPH, but also the discrimination of patients with PE from patients with CTEPH and/or the prognosis of PE. In this way, the present invention provides a new diagnostic tool that is simple, noninvasive and reliable, which allows for improved detection of CTEPH, in addition to differentiating between PD and CTEPH.

The panel is composed of 8 miRNAs that are differentially expressed in subjects who suffer from CTEPH compared to those who only suffer from PD. The integration of these biomarkers in the clinical diagnostic process is very useful for the early identification of patients with CTEPH, facilitating the early administration of the appropriate treatment.

Technology covered by a Spanish patent application and by an international patent application (PCT).

1. Accurate and specific diagnosis of CTEPH and determination of the probability of developing it.
2. Differentiation between patients with CTEPH and PD.
3. Usefulness for the prognosis of patients with PD.
4. Streamlining the CTEPH treatment process. Early identification of patients with CTEPH will facilitate the early and more effective administration of the appropriate treatment.
5. Avoiding unnecessary tests, reducing the pressure on care in tests that require highly specialized personnel.

TRL4. Proof of concept has been performed. Validation of the miRNA panel in a cohort of 48 patients with CTEPH and 37 patients with PD. Interest in continuing validation in international external cohorts.

Seeking partners interested in a license and/or collaboration agreement to develop and exploit this innovative technology.

Area: Respiratory/Pulmonary.
Pathology: Pulmonary embolism; Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.