Mosaiques Blog

Metabolism Junior Faculty Award

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 11:45:23 GMT

Metabolism Junior Faculty Award 2025

We were selected as the recipients of the 2025 Metabolism Junior Faculty Award .

Our paper, " Differential risk assessment in persons at risk of type 2 diabetes using urinary peptidomics ", has been carefully evaluated and selected by a panel of experts in recognition of its scientific quality, innovation, and contribution to the field.

On behalf of the journal Metabolism , the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Christos Mantzoros, congratulated us and praised our outstanding work and contribution.

Summary of the paper:

Individuals at increased risk of type 2 diabetes have recently been classified into six prediabetes clusters, which stratify the risk of progression to diabetes and diabetes complications (low-risk clusters: 1, 2 and 4, high-risk clusters: 3, 5 and 6). Individuals in cluster 6 have an elevated risk of nephropathy and all-cause mortality despite delayed onset of diabetes. The urinary peptidome classifiers CKD273 (chronic kidney disease, CKD), HF2 (heart failure, HF) and CAD238 (coronary artery disease, CAD) are based on unique urinary peptide patterns and have shown potential for identifying individuals at risk for CKD and cardiovascular pathologies. This observational study investigates whether peptidome classifiers can differentiate complication risks across the prediabetes clusters and if a novel combination of peptides can distinguish high-risk from low-risk prediabetes clusters.

“Advancing cancer care: Focus on personalized treatment and innovation for all Europeans”

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:54:49 GMT

EU Cancer Mission Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark

“Advancing cancer care: Focus on personalized treatment and innovation for all Europeans”

Prof. Dr. Dr. Harald Mischak will give a presentation at the EU Cancer Mission Conference on December 4, 2025 , as part of the MULTIR project on personalized tumor therapy.

For further information, please refer to the program .

New Urine Test Enables More Accurate Long-COVID Diagnosis

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:01:10 GMT

New Urine Test Enables More Accurate Long-COVID Diagnosis

Together with clinical partners, we have developed a novel, non-invasive urine test that can detect Long-COVID at the molecular level. This approach analyzes protein fragments (peptides) in urine, providing the first objective, measurable basis for diagnosing post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

Precision Diagnostics through Peptidomics

The study analyzed urine samples from 100 participants – 50 individuals with Long-COVID, approximately ten months after infection, and 50 control participants without COVID-19-related symptoms. Using capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (CE-MS) technology, we identified 195 peptides that were significantly altered in Long-COVID patients.

This peptide combination, named PASC195, formed the basis of a machine-learning diagnostic model, which identified Long-COVID cases with over 95% accuracy. For the first time, this method provides an objective, biological tool to distinguish Long-COVID from similar conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

New Insights into the Mechanisms of Long-COVID

Many of the altered peptides identified originate from collagen alpha chains, a key component of connective tissue. These findings suggest that Long COVID may be linked to disruptions in collagen regulation, persistent inflammation, and vascular damage.

Furthermore, in-silico analyses indicate that certain drugs—including GLP-1 receptor agonists and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists—could serve as effective therapeutic strategies for Long COVID.

Driving Innovation in Personalized Medicine

By leveraging advanced proteomics technology, we contribute to unraveling complex disease mechanisms and developing patient-centered, personalized diagnostic solutions.

With this new urine test, Long-COVID diagnosis can become faster, more precise, and patient-friendly – providing much-needed clarity for millions of affected individuals worldwide.

The original manuscript can be found here .

AGI and Proteome Analysis: The Molecular Symbiosis of Diagnostics and Therapy

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:56:11 GMT

AGI and Proteome Analysis: The Molecular Symbiosis of Diagnostics and Therapy

The integration of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) into proteomic analytics opens up new dimensions for understanding pathophysiological processes and developing individualized therapeutic concepts. This combination represents a paradigm shift in biomedical research and holds the potential to fundamentally transform medical knowledge generation and clinical decision-making.

Modern proteome analysis enables the identification and quantification of more than 12,000 disease-specific proteins and a multitude of their peptide fragments . These high-resolution molecular data provide detailed insights into the functional manifestation of diseases—both in terms of general patterns and their individual molecular signatures .

By applying AGI-driven analytical methods , these complex datasets can be correlated with unprecedented depth. AGI detects patterns, interactions, and causal relationships between different disease processes, allowing for the prediction of comorbid developments and the determination of optimal therapeutic pathways .

This close interconnection of intelligent data integration and molecular precision diagnostics marks the beginning of a new era in personalized medicine:

A molecular symbiosis of proteomic diagnostics and individualized therapy .

In silico prediction of optimal multifactorial intervention in CKD

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 16:51:28 GMT

This study supports the feasibility of in silico predicting effects of therapeutic interventions on CKD progression. By identifying the most beneficial treatment combinations for individual patients, this approach paves the way for precision medicine in CKD.

Detailed information can be found here .

A new age of personalised treatment for prostate cancer

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:05:46 GMT

In a podcast on the European Commission's CORDIS website, three researchers explain how their EU-funded research supports the goal of improving the treatment and diagnosis of prostate cancer. Among them is Prof. Dr. Dr. Harald Mischak who is focused on understanding the underlying molecular structures of certain types of cancers. His project, PCaProTreat, aims to identify the most appropriate therapeutic targets and drugs.

Here is the LINK .

Work of mosaiques was mentioned in the journal of the German Society of Nephrology

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 14:12:47 GMT

In the Communications of the German Society of Nephrology, the current status of clinically applicable biomarkers in the context of chronic kidney disease was presented with a focus on early detection, prognosis, and differential diagnosis. Based on two recently published review articles from the UPTAKE consortium on non-invasive biomarkers for chronic kidney disease patient management, a prominent role of multiple applications of Mosaiques’ biomarkers and technology was presented.

Both articles are available online in the "International Journal of Molecular Science" at https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/7/3678 and https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/6/3519 respectively.

Mosaiques was announced as Key Innovator by the EU

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:03:21 GMT

Mosaiques was announced as Key Innovator by the EU

The EU Commission has engaged an independent analysis team to assess the market potential of 13,000 innovations funded under the Horizon program. Among these, the urine diagnostic technology of proteome analysis—used to determine the individual effects of drugs through in-silico modeling—has been recognized as “market-ready” and a “key innovation” with “high market creation potential".

More information can be found here .

Maintaining health instead of “repair medicine”

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 09:10:13 GMT

First German health insurance company reimburses proteome analysis for the early detection of diseases.

‘IK Innovationskasse’ is the first German statutory health insurance to pay for molecular early detection tests for chronic cardiovascular and kidney disease and individual carcinomas using proteome analysis. For more information, see: https://www.protexam.com/en-gb

‘IK Innovationskasse’ board member Ralf Hermes is convinced. "This form of prevention seems to have the potential to solve the cost problem in the healthcare system to a large extent," says Hermes. The ‘IK Innovationskasse’ recently began covering a large part of the costs of this new molecular diagnostic method. With the help of proteome analysis, the risk of many chronic diseases can be effectively reduced because they can be identified at a molecular level for the first time and recognised early before organ damage occurs, thus enabling efficient treatment to be initiated. It is well known that drugs only act on proteins, not on dead cells.

The dilemma so far has been that chronic diseases progress without symptoms and go unrecognised in the first few years before they become noticeable with massive organ damage. They are the real cost drivers in healthcare systems because they are recognised too late and therefore have to be treated inefficiently but at great expense and in a long time. With the ageing population, the increase in chronic diseases and the retirement of significant age groups from the medical service, the problems will soon have a dramatic impact.

Approximately 40% of the German population is chronically ill and therefore requires regular medical treatment. The costs for this amount to more than 120 billion euros per year. This corresponds to a third of the total expenditure of the statutory health insurance funds in Germany of just over 300 billion a year.

Hermes sees it as a logical step to support this necessary paradigm shift, "away from repair medicine", with the use of proteome analysis for early detection to prevent organ damage that can no longer be stopped and is irreparable. "Better prevention through early detection also allows medical treatments and necessary medications to be better tailored to individual patients for the benefit of the health of the insured and to reduce costs more efficiently," Hermes continued. This could not only save the German healthcare system from imminent collapse, but improve patient’s quality of life and life expectancy.

Newpaper articles:

Efficient management of cancer, chronic cardiovascular, and kidney diseases

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:15:19 GMT

Mosaiques has informed all institutions in many contries, who are responsible for the health of the population, about the possibility of efficient management of cancer, chronic cardiovascular, and kidney diseases, the biggest problem for healthcare systems worldwide:

"Efficient management of cancer, chronic cardiovascular, and kidney diseases, the biggest problem for healthcare systems worldwide, is now possible! Time to act!

80% of all healthcare costs are attributable to these diseases. Since 1989, the UN has put chronic diseases on a par with Ebola as a "threat to Western civilization". Without these underlying diseases, which are usually recognized far too late, there would be no severe Covid-19 pandemic and no other viral pandemics. In addition, environmental damage and contaminated food chains also initiate inflammation in the body, especially in the blood vessels (in the endothelium) and as a trigger for fibrosis. The demographic effects are an additional burden for Western healthcare systems and China.

Further forecasts are gloomy: by 2050, the number of chronically ill people worldwide will double to 3 billion. This also applies to diabetes. For example the UAE, where more than half of the population already suffer from diabetes (~30%), hypertension, kidney and cardiovascular disease (40%), is threatened with extinction of the local population. In Germany, men already die 8 years and women 4 years earlier than in other German speaking countries (Federal Institute for Population Research). Life expectancy is also declining in the USA. Both healthcare systems are among the most expensive ones worldwide.

Overtreatment, as observed for prostate cancer with 90% unnecessary biopsies and operations (ProtecT study), which has already been corrected in the USA but continues in EU countries, especially Germany, also applies to other specialist areas (angiographies in cardiology, biopsies in nephrology, ERCP in gastroenterology, etc.). A correction via legal framework or administrative interventions has only been made in the USA for prostate cancer treatment.

The status quo

The rigid incentive system with its favouring late treatment will exacerbate the existing underuse of early detection and treatment of chronic diseases to prevent organ damage. Incentives to improve early treatment, e.g., adjusting insulin treatment of diabetic patients in order to prevent associated diseases (CKD, CVD) have hardly been successful. At this stage, the associated diseases are already manifest, they are not recognized in time with the current diagnostics. Even the current blood pressure control with the effective drugs available is often inadequate. The necessary intensive medical monitoring of patients for individual adjustment to drugs that act on different proteins requires multiple office visits and would then still contain more conjecture than biological knowledge. The high number of heart attacks, CHD and kidney disease, the "hostage of mankind", cannot be reduced efficiently in this way.

The decoded proteome solves the diagnostic dilemma and societal health problems in chronic diseases

The dilemma is that chronic cardiovascular and kidney diseases can only be detected with the methods currently used (reduced eGFR and/or albuminuria) on the basis of the presence of massive organ damage. At this point, the chronic diseases progress dynamically and cannot be stopped, at best progression can be somewhat slowed. The affected organ parts are irretrievably lost and a cure is impossible. Early detection and efficient therapy require timely, highly qualified diagnostics for precise therapy determination.

The disease-specific changes in the cells are controlled exclusively by proteins. Drugs only target proteins and cannot act on dead cells, as is the case with the current late detection of the diagnostic parameters used to date.

Mosaiques' proteome analysis has decoded the cellular molecular level by deciphering the proteome and detecting chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases at an early stage, enabling timely drug intervention and preventing manifest organ damage.

Various approved drugs are available to prevent the dynamic, progressive loss of organ function in these chronic diseases: Beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, sartans, statins; SGLT2 inhibitors, GLP1-RA, aldosterone antagonists, etc.

The disease-specific proteome changes, for example in CKD, affect several hundred proteins. The impact varies from person to person; 150 proteins are affected in one patient, 180 in another. This impairs the effective use of medication, as each drug only acts on certain proteins. If these proteins are not involved in the disease development in an individual patient, then the particular drug cannot work in that patient!

Only the proteome analysis of mosaiques can effectively predict which drugs, which all target different proteins, are best suited for an efficient timely therapy to prevent organ damage, heart attacks etc.

Mosaiques’ knowledge on the proteome of also enables prediction of the development and formation of cancer already with the initial defects in the cellular signalling system. These degenerated, pre-malignant cells, which can no longer be effectively corrected by the body's endogenous mechanisms, form the basis for the development of cancer in the respective organs. Proteome analysis maps this entire molecular process of tumour onset and progression. Proteome analysis only offers tests whose clinical benefit has already been proven and approved in evidence-based studies.

Development and worldwide scientific acceptance of proteome analysis

Since 2002, more than 100 clinical evidence-based studies have been conducted by over 1,000 renowned physicians and scientists from cooperating university hospitals worldwide to demonstrate the benefits for each individual indication. Since 2005, over 30 studies have been funded by the EU Commission. Even then, it was obvious that genomics (which affects around 10 million patients worldwide) was generally applicable to rare diseases and proteomics to chronic diseases and their definition, specification and early detection, which affect 2 billion patients worldwide. The "MIT", the "Forum Health Research" (Helmholtz, Fraunhofer, university hospitals, and many others) name mass spectrometric proteome analysis as the key to success in efficient healthcare.

More than 20 proteome-based clinical tests, most of which have emerged from EU funding, have now been approved for the early and accurate detection of a wide range of diseases. In 2016, the FDA issued a "Letter of Support" for use in the context of molecular drug testing for chronic kidney disease. The German Diabetes Society, the ERA-EDTA former presidents, the Steno Center in Copenhagen and other renowned research institutions worldwide have spoken out in favour of the early detection of chronic diseases using proteome analysis.

In the meantime, meta-analyses and economic studies in Europe and the USA (e.g. Thornton Snider et al, PLoS One. 2019 May 31;14(5):e0217487 and Critelis et al, Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2018 Mar 1;33(3):441-449), all of which point to the urgency of using proteomic analysis for accurate and early detection of chronic diseases to fundamentally improve healthcare and significantly reduce the cost burden. This will maintain social peace and credibility in politics in all countries of the world.

TIME TO ACT!

The future of healthcare through proteomics

Poking in the “haystack of uncertainty” in diagnostics and drug development has come to an end thanks to proteomic complex recognition of all proteins involved in the disease process on which drugs act alone. This revolutionary and groundbreaking aspect of mosaiques' proteome analysis, its unique selling point and the paradigm shift in individualized diagnostics and therapy, is needed worldwide. Diseases such as CVD and CKD are being defined and recognized at an early stage for the first time, so that existing drugs with their specific proteomic mechanisms of action can be used in a timely and targeted manner. Until recently, the comprehensive disease-specific proteome was not known. Drugs only targeted one or a small number of proteins and the cellular mechanism was able to re-develop the disease within a few months, using other proteins whose involvement was unknown and/or not targeted. This is the first qualified step towards personalized medicine.

The scientific substance of the proteome database, which has been built up over the last 20 years with around 100,000 qualified proteomic data sets of the respective diseases, is now being used specifically for the search for qualified active substances. Deciphering the wealth of mechanisms of action of many different active ingredients from nature would take decades using conventional methods. By using artificial intelligence in combination with proteomics data, this is possible in just a few days and is already being tested in simulations on the disease-specific proteome using the database at a level of preclinical knowledge not previously thought possible.

Lifestile products such as the weight loss injection in its symbiosis of lifestyle and clinical benefit (insulin stimulation) or new muscle-building active ingredients that are intended to alleviate skeletal pain through weight loss and muscle building will no longer be chance finds with the knowledge of the disease-specific proteome. mosaiques is already working with AI companies linked to major US companies. The future of personalized medicine has already begun.

A central element in chronic diseases appears damage to the blood vessels (endothelium) and fibrosis and is mapped in a large number of specific proteins, the collagens. Endothelial damage and fibrosis are mutually dependent and precede chronic diseases. Only Mosaiques' proteome analysis defines and recognizes all these factors from a single sample. At the same time, this subclinical damage is the cardinal problem for triggering a pandemic in viral outbreaks. This current state of medical knowledge must be used immediately to save millions of lives; TIME to ACT !!!!"

Association of Air Pollution with the Biomarker of Biological Aging

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 10:48:50 GMT

The study about the association of air pollution with the biomarker test of biological aging was published in the Jounal Environmental Health Perspectives.

This study investigated whether air pollution exposure is associated with accelerated urinary peptidomic aging, independent of calendar age and whether this association is modified by other risk factors.

Among 660 participants (50.2% women; mean age: 50.7 y), higher exposure to PM10, PM2:5, BC, and NO2 was associated with a higher UPP-age-R. Studying effect modifiers showed that higher plasma levels of desphospho-uncarboxylated matrix Gla protein (dpucMGP), signifying poorer vitamin K status, steepened the slopes of UPP-age-R on the air pollutants. In further analyses among participants with dpucMGP ≥4:26 lg=L (median), an interquartile range (IQR) higher level in PM10, PM2:5, BC, and NO2 was associated with a higher UPP-age-R of 2.03 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60, 3.46], 2.22 (95% CI: 0.71, 3.74), 2.00 (95% CI: 0.56, 3.43), and 2.09 (95% CI: 0.77, 3.41) y, respectively. UPP-age-R was an indirect mediator of the associations of mortality with the air pollutants [multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios from 1.094 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.196) to 1.110 (95% CI: 1.007, 1.224)] in participants with a high dpucMGP, whereas no direct associations were observed.

Ambient air pollution was associated with accelerated urinary peptidomics aging, and high vitamin K status showed a potential protective effect in this population. Current guidelines are insufficient to decrease the adverse health effects of airborne pollutants, including healthy aging trajectories.

Disco-I project meeting in Toulouse

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 11:50:24 GMT

Mosaiques organized an international meeting on collagen and fibrosis in Toulouse in the context of the DisCo-I project ( https://www.disco-1.eu/ ). Worldwide leading scientists, among others, Prof. Hans-Jochen Anders, Prof. Lucas Van Aelst, Prof. Anne-Dominique Lajoix, and Prof. Angel Argiles, gathered to discuss approaches towards early detection of fibrosis and prevention or even reversing this pathological development, that is the main cause for most chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, etc.). A major outcome of the meeting was the clear demonstration that fibrosis can be detected early and possible ways of therapeutic intervention, and molecular mechanisms can be unraveled using omics approaches.

Prediction of response to antihypertensive treatment

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 15:54:12 GMT

The risk of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression is significant despite treatment with renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blocking agents. Current clinical tools cannot predict whether or not patients will respond to treatment with RAS inhibitors (RASi). We aimed to investigate whether proteome analysis could identify urinary peptides as biomarkers that could predict the response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin-receptor blockers treatment to avoid DKD progression. Furthermore, we investigated the comparability of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated using four different GFR equations, for DKD progression.

We evaluated urine samples from a discovery cohort of 199 diabetic patients treated with RASi. DKD progression was defined based on eGFR percentage slope results between visits (∼1 year) and for the entire period (∼3 years) based on the eGFR values of each GFR equation. Urine samples were analysed using capillary electrophoresis–coupled mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis was performed between the uncontrolled (patients who did not respond to RASi treatment) and controlled kidney function groups (patients who responded to the RASi treatment). Peptides were combined in a support vector machine-based model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the risk prediction models in two independent validation cohorts treated with RASi.

The classification of patients into uncontrolled and controlled kidney function varies depending on the GFR equation used, despite the same sample set. We identified 227 peptides showing nominal significant difference and consistent fold changes between uncontrolled and controlled patients in at least three methods of eGFR calculation. These included fragments of collagens, alpha-1-antitrypsin, antithrombin-III, CD99 antigen and uromodulin. A model based on 189 of 227 peptides (DKDp189) showed a significant prediction of non-response to the treatment/DKD progression in two independent cohorts.

The DKDp189 model demonstrates potential as a predictive tool for guiding treatment with RASi in diabetic patients.

LINK: https://academic.oup.com/ndt/article/39/5/873/7335297

Post (long) Covid-19 syndrome

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 10:55:38 GMT

Europe's leading physicians and biochemists - funded by the EU Commission - will meet for two days (18.-19.10.2023) in Hanover at mosaiques, the world's leading proteome company. The first meaningful proteomic definitions of the molecular development of the post-Covid-19 syndrome are expected, with the necessary differentiation from other chronic diseases. This proteome analysis test should be available to patients in the short term for targeted treatment in order to make it easier to make an exact diagnosis from only one urine sample.

The scientific consortium has already developed the molecular urine test for the early detection - within the first week - of the severe course of Covid-19 (see CRIT-CoV study ), the sub-study and approval took already place in December 2020. Despite targeted therapy options that only work in the first week, health systems have not made use of this diagnostic. Those responsible feared that patients who were not at risk would then no longer be vaccinated.

The ProSTRAT-AI project has officially started!

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 12:05:50 GMT

The ProSTRAT-AI international project is funded by EUREKA network and aims to improve intervention in patients with prostate cancer, by stratifying the patients to those that can continue active surveillance and which would require immediate treatment.

LINK: https://www.eurekanetwork.org/

Mosaiques attend the multi-stakeholder hybrid workshop

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 12:07:53 GMT

Mosaiques Diagnostics was invited by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to participate in a panel discussion that was held during the “Accelerating Clinical Trials in the EU” Multi-stakeholder hybrid workshop kick-off meeting on 22-23 June 2023. During the panel discussion, Mosaiques presented and discussed its proprietary model for accelerating drug development based on personalized medicine and AI approaches.

Further information can be found in the following link: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/events/act-eu-multi-stakeholder-platform-kick-workshop

Successful ReDiRECt project!

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:44:36 GMT

Following extensive research, the ReDiRECt project has successfully pinpointed promising drug candidates for repurposing in bladder cancer. These candidates have exhibited anti-cancer effects in pre-clinical models, and further clinical testing is planned.

Study results available

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 12:44:15 GMT

Study reveals COV50 urinary peptide classifier predicts future mortality in a population unaffected by Covid-19, indicating pre-established vulnerability. Collagen fragments play a significant role. The data shows a potential for proteomics-guided interventions to reduce mortality risk.

LINK: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.04.28.23289257v2.full-text

Risk stratification in IgAN

Mon, 15 May 2023 12:46:03 GMT

A study demonstrating the value of IgAN237, a peptide based classifier that guides intervention in IgA nephropathy has been accepted for publication in the leading journal Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation. The study showed that the urinary IgAN237 classifier represents a risk stratification tool in IgAN not only at the time of biopsy but also later in the course of the disease. IgAN237 may guide physicians in management and follow-up strategies in an individualized manner.

LINK: https://doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfad125

New funded ERAPerMed projects

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 12:47:24 GMT

Mosaiques received funding for two projects in the European Personalized medicine initiative:

SIGNAL (Body fluid proteome SIGnatures for persoNALLised intervention to precent cardiovascular and renal complications in diabetes) project targets to evaluate and establish predictive biomarkers that enable guiding anti-diabetic treatment with respect to prevention of chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases.

UriCoV (URInary peptidomic patterns for Long-COVID syndrome) project aims to investigate in depth the molecular phenotype(s) of individual patients previously infected by SARS-CoV-2 and identify patients at risk of post acute sequale of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

LINK: https://erapermed.isciii.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Newsletter-January-23_final1.pdf

Kick-Off meeting for ELMUMY Horizon Cancer Mission research programme

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 13:48:57 GMT

Our Kick-Off meeting for ELMUMY Horizon Cancer Mission research programme was held on February 8 th , 2023. ELMUMY aims at yielding clinically actionable molecular features that could improve patient management of multiple myeloma. Mosaiques applies its validated CE-MS technology and contributes with biomarkers to predict progression of multiple myeloma.

LINK: www.elmumy.eu

Reduction of invasive biopsies by proteome analysis!

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 13:50:32 GMT

In an international prospective study including 970 patients, detection and assessment of prostate cancer (PCa) by CE-MS has been demonstrated to be of significant value in reducing invasive biopsies. Integration of CE-MS derived biomarkers via machine learning improves our ability to detect PCa using urine samples without the need for prior digital rectal examination.

LINK: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/15/4/1166

Predictive performance and clinical application of COV50, a urinary proteomic biomarker in early COVID-19 infection

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 13:52:22 GMT

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a worldwide challenge. The CRIT-CoV-U pilot study generated a urinary proteomic biomarker consisting of 50 peptides (COV50), which predicted death and disease progression from SARS-CoV-2. After the interim analysis presented for the German Government, here, we aimed to analyse the full dataset to consolidate the findings and propose potential clinical applications of this biomarker.

CRIT-CoV-U was a prospective multicentre cohort study. In eight European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Greece, North Macedonia, Poland, Spain, and Sweden), 1012 adults with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 were followed up for death and progression along the 8-point WHO scale. Capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry was used for urinary proteomic profiling. Hospitalisation costs were derived from the care facility corresponding with the Markov chain probability of reaching WHO scores ranging from 3 to 8 and flat-rate hospitalisation costs adjusted for the gross per capita domestic product of each country.

The urinary proteomic COV50 marker might be predictive of adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Even in people with mild-to-moderate PCR-confirmed infections (WHO scores 1-4), the COV50 threshold (0.04) justifies earlier drug treatment, thereby potentially reducing the number of days in hospital and associated costs.

Patients developing AKI can now be identified early, enabling timely initiation of treatment!

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:44:25 GMT

The delayed diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) episodes and the lack of specificity of current single AKI biomarkers hamper its management. Urinary peptidome analysis may help to identify early molecular changes in AKI and grasp its complexity to identify potential targetable molecular pathways.

In derivation and validation cohorts totalizing 1170 major cardiac bypass surgery patients and in an external cohort of 1569 intensive care unit (ICU) patients, a peptide-based score predictive of AKI (7-day KDIGO classification) was developed, validated, and compared to the reference biomarker urinary NGAL and NephroCheck and clinical scores.

A set of 204 urinary peptides derived from 48 proteins related to hemolysis, inflammation, immune cells trafficking, innate immunity, and cell growth and survival was identified and validated for the early discrimination (< 4 h) of patients according to their risk to develop AKI (OR 6.13 [3.96-9.59], p < 0.001) outperforming reference biomarkers (urinary NGAL and [IGFBP7].[TIMP2] product) and clinical scores. In an external cohort of 1569 ICU patients, performances of the signature were similar (OR 5.92 [4.73-7.45], p < 0.001), and it was also associated with the in-hospital mortality (OR 2.62 [2.05-3.38], p < 0.001).

An overarching AKI physiopathology-driven urinary peptide signature shows significant promise for identifying, at an early stage, patients who will progress to AKI and thus to develop tailored treatments for this frequent and life-threatening condition. Performance of the urine peptide signature is as high as or higher than that of single biomarkers but adds mechanistic information that may help to discriminate sub-phenotypes of AKI offering new therapeutic avenues.

LINK: https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-022-04193-9

Multicentric validation of diagnostic tests for bladder cancer

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:47:35 GMT

Non-invasive urine-based biomarkers can potentially improve current diagnostic and monitoring protocols for bladder cancer (BC). We assess the performance of earlier published biomarker panels for BC detection (BC-116) and monitoring of recurrence (BC-106) in combination with cytology, in two prospectively collected patient cohorts.

Of the 602 patients screened for BC, 551 were found eligible. For the primary setting, 73 patients diagnosed with primary BC (n = 27) and benign urological disorders, including patients with macroscopic haematuria, cystitis and/or nephrolithiasis (n = 46) were included. In total, 478 patients under surveillance were additionally considered (83 BC recurrences; 395 negative for recurrence). Urine samples were analysed with capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry. The biomarker score was estimated via support vector machine-based software.

Validation of BC-116 biomarker panel resulted in 89% sensitivity and 67% specificity (AUC BC-116 = 0.82). A diagnostic score based on cytology and BC-116 resulted in good (AUC Nom116 = 0.85) but not significantly better performance (P = 0.5672). A diagnostic score including BC-106 and cytology was evaluated (AUC Nom106 = 0.82), significantly outperforming both cytology (AUC cyt = 0.72; P = 0.0022) and BC-106 (AUC BC-106 = 0.67; P = 0.0012).

BC-116 biomarker panel is a useful test for detecting primary BC. BC-106 classifier integrated with cytology showing >95% negative predictive value, might be useful for decreasing the number of cystoscopies during surveillance.

DisCo-I project

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 13:49:09 GMT

The DisCo-I project will train young and ambitious scientists to combat major chronic diseases with fibrotic component by offering them a comprehensive and inter-sectoral training to change our view on the driving force for fibrosis: from a disease of enhanced production of extracellular matrix to a disease of failing extracellular matrix degradation.

Collagens are most abundant components of extracellular matrix, with type I collagen being a predominant component of fibrotic tissue and having an emerging role in chronic diseases.

Thus, young scientists will focus on delivering currently missing fundamental knowledge on the molecular pathophysiology of type I collagen degradation, setting up a stage for non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers of fibrosis and novel anti-fibrotic therapies, thus decreasing the burden of chronic diseases in the future.

LINK: https://www.disco-1.eu/

Urinary peptidomic profile predicts age-related chronic diseases, excessive fibrosis

Mon, 04 Oct 2021 13:52:34 GMT

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 called for innovation in addressing age-related disabilities. Our study aimed to identify and validate a urinary peptidomic profile (UPP) differentiating healthy from unhealthy ageing in the general population, to test the UPP predictor in independent patient cohorts, and to search for targetable molecular pathways underlying age-related chronic diseases.

In this prospective population study, we used data from participants in the Flemish Study on Environment, Genes and Health Outcomes (FLEMENGHO), done in northern Belgium from 1985 to 2019, and invited participants to a follow-up examination in 2005-10. Participants were eligible if their address was within 15 km of the examination centre and if they had not withdrawn consent in any of the previous examination cycles (1985-2004). All participants (2005-10) were also invited to an additional follow-up examination in 2009-13. Participants who took part in both the 2005-10 follow-up examination and in the additional 2009-13 follow-up visit constituted the derivation dataset, which included their 2005-10 data, and the time-shifted internal validation dataset, which included their 2009-13 data. The remaining participants who only had 2005-10 data constituted the synchronous internal validation dataset. Participants were excluded from analyses if they were incapacitated, had not undergone UPP, or had either missing or outlying (three SDs greater than the mean of all consenting participants) values of body-mass index, plasma glucose, or serum creatinine. The UPP was assessed by capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry. The multidimensional UPP signature reflecting ageing was generated from the derivation dataset and validated in the time-shifted internal validation dataset and the synchronous validation dataset. It was further validated in patients with diabetes, COVID-19, or chronic kidney disease (CKD). In FLEMENGHO, the mortality endpoints were all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality; other endpoints were fatal or non-fatal cancer and musculoskeletal disorders. Molecular pathway exploration was done using the Reactome and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases.

The UPP signature indicative of ageing reflects fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodelling and was associated with risk factors and adverse health outcomes in the population and with accelerated ageing in patients. Innovation in addressing disability should shift focus from the ontology of diseases to shared disease mechanisms, in particular ageing-related fibrotic degeneration.

LINK: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(21)00226-9/fulltext

Cover of the October issue 2021 of the Proteomics journal was designed by Mosaiques

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 14:05:12 GMT

The cover image is based on the Accelerated Article CD99 and polymeric immunoglobulin receptor peptides deregulation in critical COVID-19: A potential link to molecular pathophysiology? by Justyna Siwy et al., 10.1002/pmic.202100133 , and the Accelerated Article SGLT2-Inhibition reverts urinary peptide changes associated with severe COVID-19: An in-silico proof-of-principle of proteomics-based drug repurposing by Agnieszka Latosinska et al., 10.1002/pmic.202100160 .

CoV-50 test to determine complications after Covid-19 disease is ready to use!

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 15:07:04 GMT

CoV-50 test to determine complications after Covid-19 disease is regularly approved!

Based on the excellent results of the validation of the CoV-50 test on 327 Covid-19 patients in the Crit-CoV-U study, the BfArM issued a special approval according to Section 11 (1) MPG on December 30, 2020. On January 22nd, 2021, the regular approval of the DiaPat-CoV-50 test took place. These first study results were first published on the LANCET Pre-Print Server on February 23, 2021. Since May 3rd, 2021, the accepted paper has been available on the Lancet journal EClinicalMedicine: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100883

This means that every doctor in Germany is entitled to carry out the CoV-50 test for the early molecular detection of the Covid-19 course in order to prevent a severe course in time.

YouTube video

COVID-19 pandemic

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:12:35 GMT

Clinical proteome analysis from urine for the early detection of critical COVID 19 courses in order to alleviate or prevent complications.

The "Crit-CoV-U" study financed by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) started on July 1st, 2020, accompanied by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and carried out together with the STAKOB centers of the Robert Koch Institute.

Clinical Proteomics on the Path Toward Implementation: First Promises Delivered

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 15:18:44 GMT

This Special Issue is focused on the evolution of proteomics towards clinical applications. Based on first implemented results, proteomics is beginning to deliver on the original promise: to significantly improve diagnosis, therapy, and patient care. The symbiosis of diagnosis and therapy through proteomics is expected to revolutionize patient management, enabling personalized medicine.

Further information can be found in the Editorial of the Special Issue by M. Frantzi, H. Mischak, and A. Latosinska in article 1800094 .

Early detection of significant prostate cancer

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 14:15:50 GMT

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common cancers and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Thus, one major issue in PCa research is to accurately distinguish between indolent and clinically significant (csPCa) to reduce overdiagnosis and overtreatment. In this study, we aim to validate the usefulness of diagnostic nomograms (DN) to detect csPCa, based on previously published urinary biomarkers.

Mosaiques’ diagnostics study entitled:

“ CE-MS-based urinary biomarkers to distinguish non-significant from significant prostate cancer”

was awarded in 13. Nordkongress Urologie in Hamburg

13 – 15 June 2019

The study presents a CE-MS based urinary test of 19-peptides that enables detection of significant prostate cancer in patients with low levels of PSA (<15ng/ml) with sensitivity of 90% (AUC=0.81), outperforming PSA (AUC = 0.58) and the ERSPC-3/4 risk calculator (AUC = 0.69).

Please find more information on the study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31092909

Mosaiques featured in Horizon Magazine

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:20:42 GMT

"Family’s grief sparks a quest for better bladder cancer cures"

'Invasive and uncomfortable' procedures for detecting if someone has bladder cancer could be replaced by urine tests that not only screen for the presence of the disease but also help doctors choose the right course of treatment for a particular patient.

‘Our lives literally came to a stop when my mother was diagnosed with cancer,’ said Dr Gitte Pedersen. ‘The first treatment didn’t work, neither did the next one. Eventually we just ran out of time.’ The heartbreak of losing her mother inspired Dr Pedersen and her brother, Morten, to take action and start a Danish biotech company, Genomic Expression, in 2009. ‘It’s very much a passion project – we want to help solve this problem.’

Article

Lecturer of the Year 2018

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:22:31 GMT

The inventor of the clinical proteome analysis, Prof. Mischak, named "Lecturer of the Year 2018" by the Belgian Hypertonus Comitée

The leading cardiologists in Belgium, including the world-renowned researcher in cardiac muscle weakness (engl.), give a lecture in honor of the world's leading proteome researcher and inventor of the protein pattern technology and the protein database, Prof. Mischak. Lectures begin March 13th until 15th of 2018. Several commissioners from the EU, which has significantly promoted proteome analysis, have announced their attendance.

Invitiation 2018

Affiche Lecture Tour 2018

Leading scientific institutes demand clinical proteome analysis for improved patient care!

Mon, 04 Dec 2017 15:24:16 GMT

Leading German scientific institutes of the “Forum Gesundheitsforschung” at the BMBF are demanding clinical proteome analysis for the urgently needed precision medicine! The scientific institutes of the "Health Research Forum" are:

Wissenschaftsrat ● Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ● Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft ● Max-Planck-Gesellschaft ● Leibniz-Gemeinschaft ● Fraunhofer Gesellschaft ● Medizinischer Fakultätentag ● Verband der Universitätsklinika Deutschland ● Deutsche Zentren der Gesundheitsforschung ● Vertreterinnen und Vertreter aus der Wirtschaft

In the opinion of these institutes, a platform of the deciphered proteins with their patterns will enable an epic improvement in the development of precision medicine. The associated symbiosis of diagnostic and therapy means “individual patient care”, especially for chronic / inflammatory diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, kidney, lung, neurogenerative and rheumatoid diseases. In particular, cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases, as complication of diabetes, will "threaten Western civilizations", according to the UN.

The clinical proteome analysis of Mosaiques is the key to the urgently needed precision medicine. Only with the molecular recognition of the proteome through proteome analysis the diseases and their recognition can be defined for the first time and successfully treated at an early stage. Diseases arise and exist exclusively at the molecular level and it is only at the molecular level that drug treatments work. Innovative drugs can thus be developed quickly, inexpensively and largely free of side effects.

Urinary peptide signature was recognized at BAUS Annual Scientific Meeting

Mon, 04 Jul 2016 14:32:19 GMT

Pilot study reporting on a non-invasive biomarker model to distinguish between insignificant and significant prostate cancer (PCa) was awarded with BJU International Prize for the best academic paper!

Approx. 400,000 European men develop prostate cancer every year. The currently used simple PSA screening tests have the strong disadvantage that they also detect insignificant prostate cancer (i.e. unlikely to progress in the absence of treatment) and therefore cause over-diagnosis and costly overtreatment.

In an effort to address the clinical needs for discrimination of insignificant and significant prostate cancer (i.e. life-threatening disease in the absence of treatment), we aim at developing a non-invasive, multiple marker test. Collaborative effort of the CRUK Beatson Institute (Glasgow) and Mosaiques Diagnostics GmbH (Germany) resulted in identification of the urinary peptide signature indicative of insignificant disease.

Preliminary analysis of 236 urine samples using capillary-electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS) allowed for identification of 94 differentially excreted urinary biomarkers. Established model showed a discriminatory capacity of 82%, being superior to the classification of individuals based on the PSA level (71%). This findings were initially validated in the independent cohort of 167 patients, showing a discriminatory capacity of 66%. Developed model is comprised of numerous Collagen fragments, which were found substantially increased in significant prostate cancer, possibly indicating tissue invasion. Therefore, defined biomarkers likely reflect the underlying pathophysiology of prostate cancer. Based on this data a novel high throughput one-step CE-MS urine test will be developed to provide a highly sensitive and non-invasive pre-treatment diagnostic test for prostate cancer.

British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST) (@BURSTurology) tweeted last Monday, June 27, 2016:

“Urinary biomarkers in prostate cancer a very well deserving winner of the BAUS academic prize #BAUS16”

( https://twitter.com/BURSTurology/status/747361597857927168?s=09 )

FDA issues letter of support for urinary peptide-based biomarker to detect early stage of CKD

Mon, 20 Jun 2016 14:29:43 GMT

In an effort to encourage the application of biomarkers in CKD, the US Food and Drug administration (FDA) issued a ‘Letter-of-Support’ ( https://www.fda.gov/media/98846/download ) for a biomarker panel based on 273 urinary peptides that allows early detection of diabetic nephropathy and prognosis of progression. This biomarker panel, called CKD273, has been developed as a result of a multi-center European effort, and demonstrated validity in several recent studies, reviewed in e.g. [1;2].

FDA acknowledges that CKD is a major health problem, especially in type 2 diabetes, and states that risk assessment based on available clinical parameters is insufficient, particularly in patients with early stages of disease. The proposed CKD273 biomarker panel enriches clinical trials of early stage diabetic kidney disease with patients who are more likely to progress. The CKD273 biomarkers originate among others from collagen and alpha-1-antitrypsin, proteins which are linked to fibrosis and inflammation, processes that are thought to be of high relevance in CKD progression.

The FDA as the leading regulatory agency is actively supporting efforts to improve the situation of CKD patients especially at early stages of the disease. Biomarkers will likely play a significant role in addressing especially chronic disease, ideally at a point in time where the damage to the organ is still reversible.

Issuing of this letter was sparked by data recently published in NDT: in a study encompassing 2672 patients, this biomarker performed significantly better than albuminuria in detecting progressors in early stage CKD [3].

CKD273 is already implemented in the PRIORITY study ( www.eu-priority.org ), a large multicentre RCT aiming at targeted intervention in very early stages of diabetic nephropathy with spironolactone [4].

REFERENCES

1. Critselis E, Lambers HH. Utility of the CKD273 peptide classifier in predicting chronic kidney disease progression. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2016; 31: 249-254.

2. Jankowski J, Schanstra JP, Mischak H. Body fluid peptide and protein signatures in diabetic kidney diseases. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2015; 30 Suppl 4: iv43-iv53.

3. Pontillo C, Jacobs L, Staessen JA et al. A Urinary proteome-based Classifier for the early Detection of Decline in Glomerular Filtration. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2017; 32(9): 1510-1516.

4. Siwy J, Schanstra JP, Argiles A et al. Multicentre prospective validation of a urinary peptidome-based classifier for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2014; 29: 1563-1570.

Evaluation of the proteome analysis by IQWiG is scientifically irrelevant

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 15:36:27 GMT

[Press release]

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) carried out an investigation into the "proteome analysis to detect diabetic nephropathy". The point here is that researchers are now able to detect from the protein molecules in the urine extremely early on whether there is a risk of kidney disease. In contrast to the methods used up to now, this means that diabetics can be protected from kidney loss, dialysis, transplantation and impending premature death. The Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) commissioned the study because various global studies and statements by leading physicians show that this type of diagnostics has long been ready for the market.

After two and a half years of investigation, IQWiG has now come to the conclusion that "due to the lack of studies, the patient-relevant benefit or harm of a proteome analysis to detect diabetic nephropathy is just as unclear" as "its diagnostic or prognostic quality".

The Institute justifies this by saying that no references to studies relevant to the question were received.

Researchers and physicians are appalled by the way the institute works in cooperation with the G-BA. Seven studies and ten statements by internationally renowned scientists were available. Furthermore, IQWiG is obliged to carefully research the relevant material. The IQWiG studies are paid for by the G-BA. This, in turn, is maintained by the funds of those with statutory health insurance, for whom such new procedures should ultimately be evaluated to the best of our knowledge.

The examination of the proteome analysis including its conclusion violates the international criteria for the assessment of diagnosticians and the legal regulations. In fact, IQWiG excluded all study evidence of the proteome analysis from its own assessment. The neutral study assessment by Cristelis/Heerprink with three studies at the highest level of evidence according to the international EBM standard was rejected as irrelevant.

Diagnostics are evaluated according to the international levels EBM or SORT. However, IQWiG uses an assessment that is customary for the assessment of drugs and requires the diagnostic test to be a randomized study on the endpoint such as death/dialysis/heart attack. Such a study is arbitrarily requested for the first time by a diagnostic and does not provide any information about the diagnostic and its value and benefit. Diagnostics can only be checked in comparison to previously used diagnostics or with the disease comparison. Especially how the disease develops after diagnostic detection, depends solely on the action of the drug. This is also stated by the international standards.

As medical researchers, we have established that IQWiG ignores basic medical knowledge. Diabetic nephropathy develops and exists exclusively at the molecular level. The proteome analysis with the protein pattern depicts this very early on. All medications only work at the molecular level - namely on the body's proteins. Since the proteome analysis detects a developing diabetic nephropathy for the first time at the molecular level, the corresponding medication can be used in good time for the first time. This is crucial medical and biochemical basic knowledge, which IQWiG excludes as "insignificant" in the assessment and the studies carried out for this purpose.

This way of working of the IQWiG violates not only the internationally applicable criteria, but also significantly against the rules of procedure of the G-BA.

IQWiG thus accepts that more and more people are entering the kidney complication phase and are increasingly receiving renal replacement therapy. So far, the DN can only be recognized with the albuminuria and the renal filtration rate (glomular filtration rate - GFR-). But then the organ reserve of the kidneys is used up to about 60% and the DN is far advanced. A dynamic decay of the remaining kidney filters sets in.

Obviously, the increase in the number of patients requiring dialysis is knowingly accepted. To date, only 0.9% of diabetics are on dialysis. Up to 30 to 40% of diabetics develop diabetic nephropathy. In recent years, the age of onset for diabetes has decreased to around 43 years. After about 10 to 15 years, diabetic nephropathy develops in late reporting diagnosticians. Dialysis begins after a few years. Mathematically, this means that in the next 10 years 80 to 150 billion euros will arise in costs in this area alone. The same applies to the cardio-vascular diseases that arise at the same time, but which could also be treated if they are recognized in good time.

But these possibilities of the latest early diagnostics are still denied to the thousands of patients in Germany. At the same time, however, they must – without being asked – finance institutions such as the G-BA and thus unscientific studies by IQWiG.

Interviews with scientists and researchers are possible at any time.

mosaiques diagnostics GmbH
Rotenburger Strasse 20
D-30659 Hanover
Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)511 55 47 44 0
Fax: +49 (0)511 55 47 44 31

Interdependent relationship of heart and kidneys

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 14:39:07 GMT

[Press release]

Scientists develop diagnostic tools for cardiovascular complications of renal dysfunction

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than from any other single cause. CVD risk factors that can be treated or changed include tobacco exposure, high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, unhealthy diets, and harmful use of alcohol. What people often don’t keep in mind is that almost all these factors also increase the risk for impairments of renal function potentially resulting in chronic kidney diseases (CKDs). Moreover, as observational studies have shown, CVDs, once present, can directly contribute to worsening kidney function and vice versa potentially resulting in the serious and feared cardio-renal syndrome (CRS). CRS, the coexistence of cardiovascular and kidney disease in the same patient, considerably complicates therapy for each of the two conditions and may drastically reduce life expectancy. The incidence of de novo CVD events is thereby already increasing in early stages of CKD characterized by only minimally decreased renal function. As a result, cardiovascular complications like heart failure, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death account for most of deaths in patients with renal failure.

Left-sided heart failure may be considered a single continuous spectrum of conditions that may manifest in two phenotypic extremes:

Systolic heart failure (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; HFrEF) is characterized by decreased left ventricular contractile function and therefore pumping force to push blood into circulation.
Diastolic heart failure (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, HFpEF) is characterized by pathological heterogeneity mainly comprising impaired relaxation (increased stiffness) as well as elevated filling pressure resulting in impaired filling with blood during the resting period in between pumping actions. Symptomatic clinically overt HFpEF is preceded by asymptomatic pre-clinical left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) with hypertension as important risk factor for the progression to the overt syndrome.

Both phenotypes of left-sided heart failure along with LVDD can now be detected by the use of innovative clinical proteomics, developed by Germany's Mosaiques Diagnostics GmbH. While the detection of diastolic heart failure and LVDD has already been possible for some time, a diagnostic test for systolic heart failure has just recently been developed. Greek, Australian, Danish and German scientists teamed-up to identify a HFrEF-specific pattern of urine peptide biomarkers utilizing advanced state-of-the-art proteomic technology. They performed the urinary proteome analysis (UPA) in the urine samples of almost 700 individuals with and without HFrEF. As a result of the study UPA is able to discriminate HFrEF patients from healthy individuals and patients with LVDD.

Heart failure is often detected too late since adverse alterations of the structure of the heart can already be present despite the absence of signs and symptoms. Thus, the sooner the heart failure is detected the better. While this is important for at risk individuals in the general population, it is, as already indicated, even more important for at risk individuals with renal dysfunctions no matter how minor these dysfunctions are.

„Urinary proteome analysis is an interesting and promising tool that can be used to detect a range of diseases at an early development stage. Diagnosis from patient samples is obtained in a risk-free, non-invasive and painless procedure. Considering cardiovascular diseases the early detecting and treatment of the systolic and underestimated diastolic failure is desirable. Proteomics can be useful at that point. Also protein fragments seem to distinguish people who have coronary artery disease from those who don't“ says Prof. Dr. Constantin von zur Mühlen, University and Heart Research Center Freiburg/Bad Krozingen, Germany.

Jan A. Staessen, MD, PhD, Head of Research Unit Hypertension and Cardiovascular Epidemiology, KU Leuven Department of Cardiovascular Sciences points out: „Research over the past two years identified unique urinary proteomic signatures that are diagnostic for diastolic left ventricular dysfunction, the presence and progression of renal dysfunction, and the 5 year prediction of cardiovascular and cardiac complications. Further refinement of these biomarkers in longitudinal population studies will facilitate the early detection of diastolic left ventricular dysfunction, a condition that affects 25% of Europeans and carries a high risk to progress to overt heart failure.

Similarly, the unique urinary proteomic biomarker signature raises hope that physicians will soon be able to estimate the risk of deteriorating renal function, for instance in patients with subclinical left ventricular dysfunction, or to predict the risk of imminent cardiovascular complications over and beyond classical risk factors. Using the urinary proteome as a screening or diagnostic tool therefore enables the institution of preventive and therapeutic measures earlier than is currently the case that is prior to the development of overt cardiovascular, cardiac or renal disease.“

Prof. Dr. Raymond Vanholder, University of Gent, Department of Nephrology, elaborates the cardiorenal syndrome: “This study finds a number of urinary peptidic biomarkers which allow discriminating patients with heart failure from controls. The fact that these markers are found in urine to my opinion points to the intense links between kidney and heart disease. Not only are patients with kidney failure more prone to develop cardio-vascular damage of which heart failure is one of the principal components, but also is heart failure prone to cause kidney failure due to renal hypoperfusion and ischemia. Heart failure is a common complication of renal failure, first of all because of the link with cardio-vascular disease but also because kidney failure patients more easily retain salt and water leading to fluid overload. In addition both kidney and heart failure may share common patho-physiologic mechanisms, because collagen fragments I and III were not only found in this study, but also in studies seeking early biomarkers of chronic kidney disease. These findings point to the still often neglected need to check cardiac failure patients for kidney failure and vice versa, but also to treat kidney failure by active dietary salt restriction, since the kidneys alone are not functioning well enough to handle salt and fluid overload, even if treatment with diuretics is installed.“

The studies in regard of HFrEF have partially been funded by the European heart research projects EU-MASCARA and HOMAGE.

Contact:

Julia Theiler

mosaiques diagnostics

Mellendorfer Straße 7-9

30625 Hannover

Tel.: +49 (0)5 11 - 55 47 44 – 59

Fax: +49 (0)5 11 - 55 47 44 - 31

E-Mail: theiler@mosaiques-diagnostics.com

Mosaiques Blog

Metabolism Junior Faculty Award

Metabolism Junior Faculty Award 2025

“Advancing cancer care: Focus on personalized treatment and innovation for all Europeans”

New Urine Test Enables More Accurate Long-COVID Diagnosis

New Urine Test Enables More Accurate Long-COVID Diagnosis

AGI and Proteome Analysis: The Molecular Symbiosis of Diagnostics and Therapy

AGI and Proteome Analysis: The Molecular Symbiosis of Diagnostics and Therapy

In silico prediction of optimal multifactorial intervention in CKD

A new age of personalised treatment for prostate cancer

Work of mosaiques was mentioned in the journal of the German Society of Nephrology

Mosaiques was announced as Key Innovator by the EU

Mosaiques was announced as Key Innovator by the EU

Maintaining health instead of “repair medicine”

Efficient management of cancer, chronic cardiovascular, and kidney diseases

Association of Air Pollution with the Biomarker of Biological Aging

Disco-I project meeting in Toulouse

Prediction of response to antihypertensive treatment

Post (long) Covid-19 syndrome

The ProSTRAT-AI project has officially started!

Mosaiques attend the multi-stakeholder hybrid workshop

Successful ReDiRECt project!

Study results available

Risk stratification in IgAN

New funded ERAPerMed projects

Kick-Off meeting for ELMUMY Horizon Cancer Mission research programme

Reduction of invasive biopsies by proteome analysis!

Predictive performance and clinical application of COV50, a urinary proteomic biomarker in early COVID-19 infection

Patients developing AKI can now be identified early, enabling timely initiation of treatment!

Multicentric validation of diagnostic tests for bladder cancer

DisCo-I project

Urinary peptidomic profile predicts age-related chronic diseases, excessive fibrosis

Cover of the October issue 2021 of the Proteomics journal was designed by Mosaiques

CoV-50 test to determine complications after Covid-19 disease is ready to use!

CoV-50 test to determine complications after Covid-19 disease is regularly approved!

﻿

COVID-19 pandemic

Clinical Proteomics on the Path Toward Implementation: First Promises Delivered

Early detection of significant prostate cancer

Mosaiques featured in Horizon Magazine

Lecturer of the Year 2018

Leading scientific institutes demand clinical proteome analysis for improved patient care!

Urinary peptide signature was recognized at BAUS Annual Scientific Meeting

FDA issues letter of support for urinary peptide-based biomarker to detect early stage of CKD

Evaluation of the proteome analysis by IQWiG is scientifically irrelevant

Interdependent relationship of heart and kidneys