Early detection: Dr. Jon Klein

Klein is director of the ’s Core Proteomicd Laboratory, and he is the James Graham Browbn Foundation Chairin Proteomics, which involves the study of proteinz and how they are expressed in humans. He leadsx a group of seven other researchers, includingg three assistant professors andfour technicians. The group’sd primary focus is research relatedto diabetes, a diseasw that has been diagnosed in an estimatedx 318,000 adult Kentuckians, according to data on the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services Web Another 127,000 Kentucky adultx might have undiagnosed diabetes, accordint to the Web site, which woulrd mean about 14 percent of the state’sd adult population has the disease.
Klein and his team are developin a test to predict and identify individualds at a higher risk of developing diabetic kidney disease andassociatedc complications. The test is conducted usingy machines called mass spectrometers to detect blooed biomarkers that would provide early indicators of diabeti ckidney disease. Klein said his team views the tests as disease-management tools for physicians and other caregivers to help determined the future course of the disease.
Thosee medical practitioners then could intervene beforse the disease progresses and focus more intenss treatment and frequent attentionon at-risk Klein said this could delay and possibly prevent — the need for dialysis, a costlh treatment. The test also has value for pharmaceuticalo companies, Klein said. Between 30 percent and 40 percenr of people with diabetes develop diabetickidney disease, Kleinj noted. So a test that identifiez people at risk couldc help pharmaceutical companies conduct more narroaw studies on specific patient groups as the companies develop treatmentsfor diabetes. Lab has received $6.
8 million in fundingy U of L’s Core Proteomics Lab was established in using funds from HouseBill 1, or the Kentucky Postsecondary Education Act of 1997. Klein was hire d through the “Bucks for Brains” which matches state funds with private donationes to attract talent tothe university. Subsequent financialk support came fromgovernment funding, including a grantf four years ago, and grants from the . To the laboratory has received $6.8 million in grangt funding forits initiatives, including the developmeng of the diabetes test.
Klein’s team has had preliminarg discussions with potentialsponsors — diagnostic and pharmaceuticapl companies — to fund additional studies that would validate the tests. Thosd studies typically cost between $200,000 and $500,000, Klein He expects to have a sponsot in place within the next12 months. If the test provez effective, one of those companies then might license the technology. The test eventually could have a marker value of hundreds of million sof dollars, possibly approaching $1 Klein said.
The university retaine ownership of discoveries made byits researchers, and inventorx of a technology would share any royalties with the
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