New proteomics project to develop technology to detect liver disease via blood test

Scientists awarded $4.8M to search for biomarkers for liver disease

RICHLAND, Wash. -- No simple blood test exists to determine which of the millions of people infected with hepatitis C virus will develop cirrhosis of the liver or cancer. Now, researchers are developing new technology to find blood proteins that herald the earliest signs of chronic liver disease. If successful, they hope to extend the use of the technology, and to do the same for many other diseases and to make it commercially available for broad clinical use.

Washington State's Life Sciences Discovery Fund Board of Trustees announced today that the collaboration between scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Washington Liver Transplantation Program in Seattle will receive $4.8 million over the next three years to develop a new proteomics technology and apply it in search of biomarkers for liver disease.

"This is really fantastic," says grant recipient and lead investigator Dick Smith of PNNL. "This funding will support work that is almost impossible to get funded by conventional sources. The grant brings together a larger program that could have significant positive impacts on the health of people, certainly in Washington, but in the whole country as well."

The announcement caps a lengthy selection process by LSDF. “This has been a highly-competitive process. The proposals were weighed on their scientific merits and their abilities to utilize this funding to provide statewide economic returns, to build a competitive life sciences industry and to advance the health of, and health care for, our citizens. These newly-awarded grants will leverage substantial additional investment in Washington State by a variety of other funders such as federal agencies and philanthropic organizations,” says LSDF Executive Director Lee Huntsman.