Affymetrix, Inc., a pioneer in microarray technology and a leader in genomics analysis, and XRGenomics LTD, a UK based biotechnology company, announced that they will collaborate on research and development of a new generation of diagnostic tests for age-related diseases.

Over 50 per cent of healthcare costs are spent on those aged 65 and older and according to the G8 Summit 2013, age-related diseases could bankrupt Western medicine by 2050. New solutions are required to deliver efficient and effective care.

XRGenomics has utilized Affymetrix technology to develop novel gene expression-based signatures that enable translational research and biomarker test development activities in areas such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other age-related diseases.

“Our unique approach to building diagnostics for complex diseases that become prevalent with age requires a high-throughput global transcriptomics solution such as that offered by expression array plates processed on the Affymetrix GeneTitan System – a platform that is scalable, accurate, and cost-effective,” said professor Jamie Timmons, PhD, chief scientific officer at XRGenomics.

He went on to say “to provide the next generation of clinically meaningful diagnostics for geriatric medicine, one must simultaneously assess multiple ‘RNA scores’ or markers for several age-related chronic diseases to get an accurate picture of the patient. This is why we are so excited to be working with Affymetrix to optimize our RNA signatures in thousands of patients with cognitive impairment using the Affymetrix GeneTitan platform, which is extremely well suited to meet the technical demands of large scale clinical trials.”

“There is a clear need to address the enormous challenge of managing complex age-related diseases that face healthcare systems globally. We believe that the work of XRGenomics will materially improve the research, diagnosis, and treatment of age-related diseases in the near future,” said Dan St. Louis, senior vice president of the Expression Business Unit at Affymetrix.

“Our GeneChip U133 Plus 2.0 array used by XRGenomics, particularly in its high-throughput automated format, continues to serve as a proven platform for clinical and translational researchers who need to analyze the expression profile of large clinical cohorts with the accuracy, reproducibility, speed, and cost-effectiveness required to successfully develop complex RNA-based tests for clinical utility.”

XRGenomics hopes that their biological age signature becomes an important stratification tool for dementia research as early as 2017.