About Us
Durin Technologies Inc. is a New Jersey-based company developing diagnostic tests for early detection of some of the more pervasive and progressive neurodegenerative diseases. The company was founded by Drs. Robert Nagele and Benjamin Belinka in 2010 and currently resides at the South Jersey Technology Park in Mullica Hill.
Our diagnostic strategy takes advantage of the immune system’s unique but consistent reaction to the presence of each type of neurodegenerative disease. Monitoring of disease-linked changes in autoantibody profiles enable identification of biomarkers useful for early disease detection and diagnosis, often much earlier than is possible using any other existing method.
The Science
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Our immune system protects us from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses.
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It does this by producing antibodies that can stick to them, thereby helping in their removal.
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The immune system also has another important job – the removal of debris from our blood that our bodies generate every day as a result of normal wear and tear.
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It does this by producing autoantibodies - antibodies that react to things produced by our own bodies.
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Just like they do for bacteria and viruses, autoantibodies can stick to this debris and help to clear it from the blood every day to ensure proper blood flow through our tiniest vessels.
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When you have a disease, extra debris is produced from the specific organ or body tissue involved in the disease (e.g., kidney debris from a diseased kidney, brain debris in Alzheimer’s disease).
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Our immune system responds to each disease by increasing the level of autoantibodies in the blood that will target and clear this disease-associated debris.
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Because each disease is unique and has a unique debris signature, each disease also generates a unique autoantibody signature in the blood, which is detectable at very early stages of disease.
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Our diagnostic strategy can recognize the autoantibody signatures for each disease using only single drop of blood.
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Our current focus is early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and brain damage resulting from traumatic brain injury as well as concussion and sub-concussion injuries.
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The exceptional sensitivity of Durin’s diagnostic tests enable disease detection at a very early stage, even before the patient is aware of the disease and is showing telltale symptoms.
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Detecting the disease at a very early stage provides the greatest chance of slowing disease progression or stopping it altogether before too much damage has occurred with available therapies.
The Scope
Our Vision for Securing a Better Tomorrow for You!
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We envision that Durin’s early diagnostic tests will be used for disease screening initially once per year at the annual checkup or as needed if concerns arise.
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By comparing this year’s test results with those from last year, physicians will be able to detect the very earliest signs that a particular disease is present, so that treatment can be started much earlier.
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After the initial diagnosis, the test can be given more frequently to monitor disease progression and response to treatments.
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For elderly patients with cognitive and/or memory complaints concerned about Alzheimer’s disease, Durin’s test will have important utility as a disease screener that can be used to justify directing patients to the much more expensive battery of neuropsychological and neuroimaging (MRI and PET scans) tests. The potential cost savings to the patient and the health care industry would be immense.
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Durin’s test should aid in the development and evaluation of new, disease-modifying drugs in clinical trials. If the new drug is working, there will be less disease-associated debris produced and blood levels of disease-linked autoantibodies will drop back towards levels typical for disease-free individuals - a good sign that the patient is recovering.
OUR PUBLICATIONS
Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Pathology Using a Multi-Disease Diagnostic Platform Employing Autoantibodies as Blood-based Biomarkers
2022, (Under Review)
Evidence that Brain-Reactive Autoantibodies Contribute to Chronic Neuronal Internalization of Exogenous Amyloid-β1-42 and Key Cell Surface Proteins During Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease March 10, 2020
The origin and nature of the complex autoantibody profile in cerebrospinal fluid
Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health December 29, 2019
Detection of early-stage Alzheimer's pathology using blood-based autoantibody biomarkers in elderly hip fracture repair patients.
PLoS One November 15, 2019
Autoantibodies as diagnostic biomarkers for the detection and subtyping of Multiple Sclerosis
Journal of Neuroimmunology May 19, 2017
Detection of Alzheimer’s disease at Mild Cognitive Impairment and disease progression using autoantibodies as blood-based biomarkers
Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring April 12, 2016
Serum autoantibodies as biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease: background and utility
AIMS Medical Science October 10, 2015
Sevoflurane and Isoflurane induce structural changes in brain vascular endothelial cells and increase blood-brain barrier permeability: Possible link to postoperative delirium and cognitive decline
Brain Research September 16, 2015
Potential utility of autoantibodies as blood-based biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
Immunology Letters September 16, 2015
Utility of autoantibodies as biomarkers for diagnosis and staging of neurodegenerative disease
International Review of Neurobiology June 19, 2015
Natural IgG autoantibodies are abundant and ubiquitous in human sera, and their number is influenced by age, gender, and disease
PLoS One April 2, 2013
Diabetes and hypercholesterolemia increase blood-brain barrier permeability and brain amyloid deposition: beneficial effects of the LpPLA2 inhibitor darapladib
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease March 29, 2013
Neuronal PAD4 expression and protein citrullination: possible role in production of autoantibodies associated with neurodegenerative disease
Journal of Autoimmunity May 2, 2012
Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease based on disease-specific autoantibody profiles in human sera
PLoS One February 22, 2012
Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease based on disease-specific autoantibody profiles in human sera
PLoS One August 3, 2011