Depression diagnosis kit wins BfK IDEAS 2017
A kit to diagnose and improve the monitoring of depression through a blood test was the winning project at BfK IDEAS 2017. The kit is being developed by an i3S team, consisting of three researchers - Maria Inês Almeida, Susana Santos and Inês Alencastre - and two members of the Institute's Technology Transfer Unit - Sofia Esteves and Bárbara Macedo. Called MyRNA Diagnostics (Translating Molecular Biomarkers in Diagnosis of Diseases) came from a collaboration between the i3S and a team of FMUP psychiatrists.
The diagnosis of depression is currently based on clinical interviews and there are no complementary diagnostic tests that can be applied routinely in the clinic. The team presented a business idea based on a kit to diagnose depression through a blood test, which has been developed as part of a collaboration between the group “Microenvironments for New Therapies” of i3S-INEB, led by Prof. Mário Barbosa, and a team of psychiatrists from FMUP, led by Prof. Rui Coelho. This project is funded by the NORTE2020 program and has the collaboration of the Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa.
«The diagnosis of depression is currently based on clinical interviews. Mental health care providers feel the need to use specific and sensitive methods to improve the percentage of patients with depression (> 300 million worldwide) receiving effective treatment (<50%)», says Inês Almeida, one of the researchers from the i3S team.
The MyRNA Diagnostics project, according to Susana Santos, another i3S investigator, «detects and quantifies a specific panel of molecular biomarkers in a blood sample, which allows quantitative diagnosis and better monitoring of the disease».
«The results of our product are analyzed by an algorithm and will be provided within 24 to 48 hours after the blood collection. The solution allows clinicians to base their therapeutic decisions on a quantifiable biological test, decreasing excessive prescribing, improving diagnostic accuracy and allowing disease monitoring during therapy», explains Inês Alencastre.
For the MyRNA Diagnostics team, the fact that their project was honored with the first BfK IDEAS 2017 award means crucial support at this stage of the process to get this product to the market and to those most in need, the patients. «This award is an incentive to continue working on this idea with the conviction that we will make a difference for clinicians and patients suffering from depression», summarizes Barbara Macedo. In addition, continues Sofia Esteves, «the first prize, apart from being an honor and an excellent motivation to continue, will undoubtedly allow the start-up of the project through specialized consulting and intellectual property services».
Second place in BfK IDEAS 2017 was awarded to the project «rhelNforce - Optimal Performance», created by the team of the Center for Studies of Transport Phenomena, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto. And third place went to the project «Power Phoenix grid - scale battery», proposed by the team of TEMA - Centre for Mechanical Technology and Automation da Universidade de Aveiro.
BfK IDEAS is an initiative of the Born from Knowledge program (BfK), a program to commercialize scientific and technological knowledge which is promoted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through the National Agency of Innovation (ANI). The mission of this program is to promote, disseminate and reward the production of knowledge and innovation in Portugal, giving visibility to investment in Science and its economic and social impact.
In addition to access to an acceleration program in science and technology, the winners of the BfK IDEAS 2017 competition will benefit from the Industrial Property diagnostic service to the project, with the support of Patentree - Intellectual Property (www.patents.pt). The first classified - MyRNA Diagnostics - will also have access to specialized consulting services and deposit of an interim national patent application.