C₂N Diagnostics' technology is capable of measuring the production and clearance of proteins in the human brain as assessed in the cerebrospinal fluid. Currently, this technology is adapted to the measurement of the production and clearance of the beta amyloid protein implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Ongoing efforts by C₂N are to expand the assay to the measurement of other proteins and biomolecules of relevance to neurodegeneration. C₂N Diagnostics anticipates collaborating with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the pursuit of these interests.

Alzheimer's Disease

Many biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies involved in drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease are currently focusing on developing treatments that target the metabolism of the amyloid beta peptide. Specifically, inhibitors and modulators of gamma and beta secretases are the focus of intense research by many major pharmaceutical companies. Drug screens are carried out in cell culture and then verified in animal models of Alzheimer's disease where disease progression is much faster than what is observed in humans.

Few tools exist for studying, in humans, if drugs targeting amyloid beta metabolism are actually hitting their target. Clinical trials of these drugs usually rely on cognitive progression of the disease as assessed by caregivers and neuropsychological testing as the readout of effectiveness of the drug. This type of clinical study is time consuming and very costly, and does not offer any insight into the mechanism of action of the drug. Using the C₂N Diagnostics assay it may now be possible to measure the effect of drugs on the metabolism of amyloid beta in the central nervous system. This may allow for much faster testing of the effectiveness of drugs on amyloid metabolism early on in the drug development process.