HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – Vandalia Research, Inc. announced today that it has received official notification of grant award for a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The grant, in the amount of $153,311, will be used to begin development of an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for monitoring galactosemia.

Vandalia Research, Inc. has partnered with Marshall University under the NIH’s STTR guidelines to complete the project. Dr. Menashi Cohenford of Marshall University’s Integrated Science and Technology Department is principal investigator for the project.  

The long term objective of the project is to develop a diagnostic kit for monitoring nonenzymatically galactated proteins in galactosemia. Classical galactosemia is a disorder of galactose metabolism caused by a deficiency of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase. The resulting severe impairment of galactose metabolism has been recognized for half a century and the frequency of this disorder is estimated to be 1 in 40,000 births.   Dr. Cohenford’s technology will enable these patients to manage their disease by monitoring galactated proteins in blood, similar to current tests for diabetes.

During Phase I,  researchers at Vandalia Research and Marshall University will attempt to develop a monoclonal antibody probe directed to nonenzymatically galactated albumin that by
standard immunological techniques will prove specific to galactated albumin.  Dr. Cohenford will apply for a Phase II STTR grant following successful completion of his Phase I research, and plans to collaborate with the Galactosemia Foundation to obtain galactosemia patient samples for Phase II of the study. 

About Vandalia Research, Inc. – Vandalia Research is a biotechnology research company based in Huntington, WV. Its core technology is the Triathlon, which enables large-scale production of specific, high-quality DNA sequences with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The company now provides milligram and gram scale DNA production for a variety of applications, including diagnostics, DNA vaccines, standards, and others.

For more information, call (304) 529-0803 or visit the Vandalia Research website at www.vandaliaresearch.com.