A Medical Device Daily

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF; San Jose, California) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS; New York) reported that they have jointly funded a $100,000, two-year research award to Andrew Tager, MD, from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH; Boston).

“We are excited to continue this important partnership with ATS,” said Marvin Schwarz, MD, chairman of the CPF and the James C. Campbell Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (Denver). “Dr. Tager’s research is certainly exciting in that it represents a potential new clinical pathway to understanding how IPF [idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis] progresses in humans, which could lead to new treatments.”

“The objective of Tager’s study — titled “Mechanisms of Fibrosis Driven by Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) and its Receptor LPA1” — is to investigate the role of LPA and its cognate receptor LPA1 in lung injury and fibroproliferation following bleomycin treatment. Preliminary data has identified LPA as a potentially important mediator in IPF, functioning as a signaling molecule that triggers the proliferation of scar tissue. The research aims determine the role of LPA/LPA1 in fibroblast recruitment induced by lung injury, determine the role of endothelial cell LPA1 in vascular leak induced by lung injury, and investigate the role of LPA/LPA1 in fibroblast migration in IPF.

IPF is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring — known as fibrosis — and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. About 128,000 Americans suffer from IPF, which is the most prevalent of a classification of lung disorders known as interstitial lung diseases (ILD’s). There is currently no known cause or cure for IPF, nor is there an FDA-approved treatment. An estimated 48,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. IPF is difficult to diagnose, and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis.

In contract news: AcroMetrix (Benicia, California), a global leader in quality control materials for molecular and serological diagnostics, reported that it will extend its contract with Group Services for America’s Blood Centers (GSABC; Washington) through Dec. 31, 2009. Following the previous agreement from 2005, GSABC will continue to recommend and promote AcroMetrix as a recommended provider of quality control materials for GSABC’s 77 members across the U.S. and Canada.

“Because of the important nature of the infectious disease testing conducted by members of America’s Blood Centers (ABC), all tests must be carefully monitored to ensure accurate performance,” said GSABC director of contracting Susan Claffey. “The innovative quality control products provided by AcroMetrix serve this critical need and assure the accuracy and reliability of blood screening.”

AcroMetrix currently provides many GSABC members with quality control products for molecular testing of HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and West Nile Virus, as well as serology controls for all commonly screened analytes, including Chagas. These products provide a means by which to estimate accuracy and detect systematic errors in qualitative assays.

The contract includes all products for infectious disease testing performed at member community blood centers of GSABC, including EDCNet, AcroMetrix’s online data management system. AcroMetrix will be working with all GSABC member labs to help subsidize their transition to AcroMetrix products.