Patent Issued for Method for diagnosing primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) using novel autoantigens (USPTO 11885802).

Ambergen Inc. has been issued a patent for a method of diagnosing primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) using new autoantigens. PBC is a liver disease that primarily affects women between the ages of 40 and 65. The disease destroys biliary ductules in the liver, leading to liver failure. Currently, the only treatment for end-stage liver disease is a liver transplant, so an accurate and quick diagnostic test for PBC is important for early treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid. A study found that 19% of PBC patients have features of another disease, which can complicate diagnosis. Autoantibodies, specifically anti-mitochondrial autoantibodies (AMA), have been found to appear before the clinical symptoms of PBC, suggesting they could be used for diagnosis. AMA is present in 87-95% of PBC patients. Additionally, anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANA) are present in about 50% of PBC patients and can indicate prognosis. The patent discussed in the article focuses on the use of new autoantigens for diagnosing, predicting outcomes, staging, and treating PBC. [Extracted from the article]

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