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  • What We've Learned
Discovering New Diagnostic Protein Markers for Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis
SPIN-Project-PLS-image
Scientific Study Title:
Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis Proteomics to Identify Novel Biomarkers (SPIN)
Start Date:
  • 2022
End Date:
  • 2024
Research Category
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Why did we do this research?

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is a muscle disease that’s hard to diagnose because many patients don’t have clear biomarkers (detectable indicators in their blood). Currently, diagnosis relies on invasive muscle biopsies. Delays in diagnosis can result in patients who have severe disability by the time a diagnosis is made. To improve diagnosis and understanding of sIBM, we used advanced machine learning and mass spectrometry techniques to look for new biomarkers—specific proteins or antibodies that could help identify the disease.

What did we do?

We tested blood samples from 10 sIBM patients using a special array – HuProtTM – a tool for mapping antigen-specific immunity to find new autoantibodies (immune system proteins that mistakenly attack the body). We analyzed blood and muscle tissue samples from sIBM patients to discover new proteins associated with the disease, using a method called mass spectrometry. We used statistical methods and machine learning to pick out the most important biomarkers that distinguish sIBM from healthy controls. We also explored how these biomarkers might be involved in the disease development process, focusing on immune response, inflammation, and muscle degeneration.

What did we find?

We identified many new autoantibodies and proteins from the tests. Some key findings include:

What are the next steps?

We are working to confirm our findings by testing the new biomarkers in a larger group of sIBM patients.

The Research Team

Principal Investigators

  • May Y. Choi, MD, FRCPC, MPH, Research Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
  • Antoine Dufour, PhD (University of Calgary)

Co-Investigators

  • Dr. Mark Tarnopolksy, MD, PhD (McMaster University, Hamilton)
  • Dr. Valérie Leclair, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (McGill University)
  • Dr. Marie Hudson, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (McGill University)
  • Dr. Ross Mitchell, MSc, PhD (University of Alberta)
  • Dr. Marvin Fritzler, MD, PhD (University of Calgary)

Additional Team Members

  • Farbod Modhaddam (University of Calgary)
  • Katherine A. Buhler (University of Calgary)
  • Erin Hatcher (McMaster University)
  • Meifeng Zhang (University of Calgary)
  • Luiz De Almeida (University of Calgary)

Who Funded This Research?

University of Calgary

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