Exagen and the University of Washington Collaborate on Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis Research


San Diego, CA and Albuquerque, NM, Aug. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Exagen Inc., an organization dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from debilitating and chronic autoimmune diseases by enabling timely differential diagnosis and optimizing therapeutic intervention, today announced a research collaboration with the University of Washington’s School of Medicine and Dr. Christian Lood, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Rheumatology.

Dr. Lood studies the role of neutrophils in inflammation and autoimmunity with an emphasis on the contribution of neutrophils to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis.

“Neutrophils are the main immune cells in the human circulation, participating in host defense through mechanisms including production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), phagocytosis and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), a recently identified neutrophil cell death process in which DNA is extruded together with cytoplasmic and granular content to trap and eliminate extracellular pathogens. Although beneficial from a host-pathogen perspective, exaggerated neutrophil activation and NET formation has been linked to autoimmunity, particularly in SLE and RA,” said Dr. Lood.

“We are excited to be working with Dr. Lood and his research regarding neutrophils and autoimmune diseases such as SLE and RA.  We believe Exagen’s support for this promising research demonstrates our commitment to the advancement of clinical solutions for these complex and lifelong diseases,” said Dr. Thierry Dervieux, Chief Science Officer and Medical Director at Exagen.

As centers of autoimmune research such as the University of Washington continue to study disease processes for SLE and RA, Exagen supports such efforts through its focus on the development of more effective tools to diagnose, prognose and monitor these diseases. CoMotion, the University of Washington’s collaborative innovation hub, supported Dr. Lood by filing the patent application underlying Dr. Lood’s work brought into this collaboration, and participating in sponsored research agreement negotiations.

About Exagen Inc.

Exagen is dedicated to transforming the care continuum for patients suffering from debilitating and chronic autoimmune diseases by enabling timely differential diagnosis and optimizing therapeutic intervention. Exagen has developed and is commercializing a portfolio of innovative testing products under its AVISE brand, several of which are based on our proprietary Cell-Bound Complement Activation Products, or CB-CAPs, technology. CB-CAPs assess the activation of the complement system, a biological pathway that is widely implicated across many autoimmune and autoimmune-related diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE. Exagen’s goal is to enable rheumatologists to improve care for patients through the differential diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of complex autoimmune and autoimmune-related diseases, including SLE and rheumatoid arthritis, or RA. Exagen’s model of integrating testing products and therapeutics positions Exagen to offer targeted solutions to rheumatologists and, ultimately, better serve patients.

About the University of Washington, School of Medicine and CoMotion

Ranked by Reuters as the No. 1 most innovative public university in the world in 2018, the University of Washington (UW) is a leading recipient of federal funding research, producing innovations that have the power to change the world—from biofuel alternatives, to more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and brain cancer, to purification technology for drinking water in the developing world. The UW School of Medicine is ranked second in the nation in total federal research grants and contracts and consistently ranks in the top three in the nation for the best medical school for primary care.

CoMotion at the UW is the collaborative innovation hub dedicated to expanding the economic and societal impact of the UW community. By developing and connecting to local and global innovation ecosystems, CoMotion helps innovators achieve the greatest impact from their ideas and discoveries.
Find more information at https://comotion.uw.edu.


            

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